25 May 1988

13th plenary meeting

Meetings of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Asia

and the Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1845 (LVI) of 15 May 1974, in which it requested the Secretary-General to convene regular meetings of the heads of national drug law enforcement agencies of the countries in the Asia and Pacific region, its resolution 1985/11 of 28 May 1985, in which it requested the Secretary-General to convene regular meetings of the heads of the national drug control and law enforcement agencies of States in the African region, and its resolution 1987/34 of 26 May 1987, in which it invited Governments of Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in a regional meeting with a view to establishing regulr meetings of heads of national drug law enforcement agencies in the Latin America and Caribbean region,

Recalling also that the General Assembly, in its resolution 37/198 of 18 December 1982, requested the Secretary-General to explore the feasibility of establishing on a continuing basis, co-ordination mechanisms for drug law enforcement in regions where they did not exist,

Noting that these regional meetings have been granted the status of subsidiary organs of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, to which they report,

Bearing in mind that three regional meetings of heads of national drug law enforcement agencies were successfully convened in 1987,

Recognizing the valuable contribution that these meetings have made, and can continue to make, to international co-operation and co-ordination, on a regional and interregional basis, in the field of drug law enforcement and other areas of international drug control,

1. Confirms in the light of the terminology used at the first Interregional Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, convened at Vienna from 28 July to 1 August 1986, that each of the three regional meetings should in future be designated "Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies", followed by an indication of the region;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to convene these three regional meetings at the capitals of States in the respective regions that may wish to act as host or at the headquarters of the regional commission concerned, annually, beginning in 1988, except in years when an interregional meeting is held, and to provide the financial resources required from available resources, and, if necessary, to seek additional extrabudgetary resources;

3. Also requests the Secretary-General, at his discretion, to invite States outside the region that request observer status and that are actively involved in countering the illicit drug traffic in, through or from the region to send observers to the meetings, on the understanding that any expenses would be borne by the States concerned;

4. Requests the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to include in the agenda of its regular and special sessions a separate item entitled "Development and promotion of more effective action against illicit drug trafficking through regional co-operation in drug law enforcement", under which it should consider reports or recommendations of the meetings of heads of national drug law enforcement agencies and the Sub-Commission on Illicit Drug Traffic and Related Matters in the Near and Middle East and take appropriate action.