24 May 1983

Review and implementation of the programme of strategy and policies for drug control

The Economic and Social Council,

Having considered paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 36/168 of 16 December 1981, entitled "International Drug Abuse Control Strategy", by which the Assembly requested the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to establish a task force,in the context of that Strategy, to monitor and review the programme of action and to report to the Commission thereon,

Noting that the Commission, in its resolution 1 (S-VII) of 8 February 1982, decided, inter alia, to establish that task force on a provisional basis, as outlined in paragraph 90 of its report on the seventh special session, and to review the composition of the task force at its thirtieth session,

Noting further the number of representations subsequently made to the Secretary-General concerning the provisional membership of the task force and its possible enlargement,

Aware that a task force with limited participation may prove to be discriminatory in nature,

Recognizing that the original purpose of the task force would be thwarted if the task force were to become too large,

Recognizing also that the monitoring and review procedure, as currently organized, may lead to a duplication of effort between the Commission and its task force,

Concerned that the financial constraints under which the task force was authorized to meet made it necessary for the Commission to renounce its own meeting when its task force was in session, thereby further curtailing the time available to the Commission for examination of its agenda items,

Having taken note of the report of the task force on its discussions held immediately prior to and during the thirtieth session of the Commission,

Recommends to the General Assembly that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, meeting in plenary during its sessions and in the presence of all interested observers, should in future replace the present task force as provisionally established and thus constitute the task force envisaged in General Assembly resolution 36/168.