28 May 1985

22nd plenary meeting

Supply of and demand for opiates for medical and scientific needs

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolutions 1979/8 of 9 May 1979, 1980/20 of 30 April 1980, 1981/8 of 6 May 1981, 1982/12 of 30 April 1982, 1983/3 of 24 May 1983 and 1984/21 of 24 May 1984, as well as Commission on Narcotic Drugs resolution 1 (XXIX) of 11 February 1981 entitled "Strategy and policies for drug control",

Having considered the report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 1984 on the demand and supply of opiates for medical and scientific needs,

Noting with concern the increasing production of opiate raw materials in excess of domestic need and for export in some non-traditional supplier countries, as brought out in that report,

Noting further with concern that the traditional supplier countries continue to hold large accumulated stocks of opiate raw materials which constitute heavy financial and other burdens for them,

Bearing in mind the urgent need to liquidate the accumulated stocks held by the traditional supplier countries with a view to achieving a lasting world-wide balance between demand and supply of opiates for medical and scientific purposes,

Taking note of the position set out in paragraph 58 of the report of the International Narcotics Control Board,

Noting with appreciation the consultations held and the steps taken by the International Narcotics Control Board to facilitate the implementation of Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/21,

1. Urges the Governments of those countries that have not already done so to take urgent and effective steps to implement Council resolution 1984/21;

2. Urges the Governments of importing countries to take urgent and effective steps to support the traditional supplier countries and to give to those countries all the practical assistance they can, in order to avoid the proliferation of sources of production of opiate raw materials for export;

3. Urges the Governments of producing and manufacturing countries which have recently set up additional capacities for export to take urgent and effective measures to restrict their production programmes to meeting mainly their domestic requirements;

4. Requests the International Narcotics Control Board to further pursue the implementation of the above-mentioned resolutions with the Governments of those countries which have not yet implemented them, and to devise such other measures as may be deemed appropriate with a view to promoting and monitoring the urgent implementation of those resolutions;

5. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts towards the expeditious implementation of project A-1, on the reduction of excessive stocks of licit opiate raw materials, under the programme of action for the biennium 1984-1985 of the basic five-year programme of the International Drug Abuse Control Strategy;

6. Further requests the International Narcotics Control Board to assist, in consultation with the producing and consuming countries and the concerned United Nations bodies, in the implementation of project A-1;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit the present resolution to all Governments for their consideration and implementation.