The reconvened 42nd session on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (30 November - 1 December 1999) adopted two draft resolutions: Budgetary matters and Guidelines for reporting on the follow-up to the twentieth special session of the General Assembly.

The Commission also examined the agenda for its forty-third session to beheld from 6 to 15 March 2000.

DRAFT RESOLUTION "GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING ON THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE TWENTIETH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY"

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,

Reaffirming the importance of following up the commitments of Member States set out in the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session on the world drug problem,

Underlining the need to establish a follow-up mechanism for examining and sustaining progress by Member States in meeting the objectives for the years 2003 and 2008, as set out in the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session,

Recalling its resolution 42/4 of 24 March 1999, in which it decided to establish an inter-sessional working group to elaborate guidelines for reporting by Governments on the implementation of the global programme of action and on the progress achieved in meeting the goals and targets for the years 2003 and 2008, as set out in the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session,

Stressing the need to facilitate its analysis of the biennial reports to be prepared by States, through the adoption of a concise, simple and streamlined method of reporting that would enable Governments to provide clear, objective and concise information on the progress made in implementing the action plans and measures adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session, with a view to intensifying national, regional and international cooperation in addressing the world drug problem,

Recalling the important role of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the United Nations system in supporting the follow-up to the twentieth special session of the General Assembly,

Adopts the unified, single questionnaire annexed to the present resolution that includes the information required on all action plans and measures adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session;

Requests Member States to transmit to the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme by 30 June 2000, their replies to the first biennial questionnaire annexed to the present resolution.

Requests the Executive Director to prepare a single biennial report, which should also cover the difficulties encountered in meeting the objectives and targets agreed upon at the twentieth special session, on the basis of questionnaires provided by Member States, to be submitted to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs not later than three months prior to its review by the Commission. The first biennial report should be examined by the Commission at its regular session in the year 2001. Subsequent reports would be examined by the Commission in the years 2003, 2005,2007 and 2008. The Commission could consider, at its reconvened session in 2003, whether this timetable remained appropriate;

Requests the Executive Director to cover in his report the efforts of Governments to meet the objectives and target dates established by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session, on the basis of a comprehensive, confidential and balanced treatment of information covering all aspects of the drug problem. Each Government must have the opportunity to comment on any information relating to its territory that is included in the report and that it has not provided. The report of the Executive Director of UNDCP should contain information on global trends, organized by region and covering the action plans and sets of measures adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session. UNDCP should also draw on its expertise and experience gained from its global technical assistance programmes and information collected under various relevant questionnaires;

Calls on the Executive Director to submit to Member States his biennial report no later than three months prior to its review by the Commission. If in that period of time any government considers it necessary to comment in writing in a concise and specific matter on any information relating to its territory that is included in the Report and that it has not provided, those comments should be annexed to the Report. The Commission should consider holding informal inter-sessional meetings to consider the biennial report of the Executive Director during the above-mentioned three-month period and to initiate the follow-up process;

Considers that the gathering and presentation of information on the follow-up to the action plans and measures adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session must be done by States. UNDCP has a central role to pay in supporting Governments in their efforts to perform that task;

Requests the Executive Director to inform the Commission on the action of the Programme and the United Nations system in assisting Member States in meeting the objectives and target dates set out in the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session, and in meeting the mandate addressed to the Programme and to the United Nations system;

Decides to submit a report to the General Assembly in the years 2003 and 2008 on the progress achieved in meeting the goals and targets set out in the Political Declaration. The Commission should consider establishing, at its forty-third session or before, a set of common indicators, criteria and parameters for the preparation of its report;

Decides to assess the reporting guidelines and questionnaires at regular inte3rvals, in order to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of Member States. The Commission should also consider streamlining the annual reports questionnaire submitted by Member States;

Requests the Programme to discontinue the questionnaire on the implementation of the Global Programme of Action adopted by the General Assembly at its seventeenth special session;

Decides to evaluate the biennial report of the Executive Director and to present recommendations on, inter alia, national, regional and international action and cooperation, under a new agenda item entitled "Follow-up to the twentieth special session of the General Assembly", and under separate agenda items related to action plans and measures adopted by the Assembly at its twentieth special session;

Decides also that, during the regular session of the Commission, the Committee of the Whole will assess the biennial report of the Executive Director, and that the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee will be considered by the Commission in plenary, under the agenda item entitled "Follow-up to the twentieth special session of the General Assembly", and under separate agenda items relating to the action plans and measures adopted by the Assembly at its twentieth special session, allocating adequate time for the discussion of the biennial report of the Executive Director;

Invites the Secretariat to transmit the recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Commission to the regional mechanisms and organizations for their use in accordance with their mandates.