22 May 1989

12th plenary meeting

Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling the many resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs as well as the many political declarations such as the Quito Declaration against Traffic in Narcotic Drugs of 11 August 1984, the New York Declaration against Drug Trafficking and the Illicit Use of Drugs of 1 October 1984, the Lima Declaration of 29 July 1985 and, in particular, the Declaration of the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking all of which called for the urgent preparation of a convention against illicit trafficking,

Noting that those resolutions and declarations led to the adoption on 19 December 1988 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances by a conference of plenipotentiaries covened by the United Nations at Vienna from 25 November to 20 December 1988,

Reaffirming the importance of the Convention for improving international co-operation in that field, and noting that the Convention will add to the existing instruments for the control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,

Taking into account General Assembly resolution 43/214 of 21 December 1988 and the Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation, as well as resolution 3 adopted by the United Nations Conference for the Adoption of a Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances,

Noting the priority assigned by the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-eighth session to matters relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the excellent preparation of the working document on the draft convention, which was circulated to States for consideration at the conference of plenipotentiaries;

2. Also expresses its thanks to States that participated in the development and adoption of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances;

3. Urges States to proceed with the signing and ratification of the Convention, so that it enters into force as early as possible;

4. Further urges States to take the requisite legal and administrative measures and to devote the necessary resources at the national level so that the Convention may be implemented effectively;

5. Invites States, to the extent that they are able to do so, to apply provisionally the measures set out in the Convention pending its entry into force for each of them;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to modify the section of the annual reports questionnaire regarding the implementation of international treaties so that the Commission, at its regular and special sessions, may review the steps that States have taken to ratify, accept, approve or formally confirm the Convention;

7. Further requests the Secretary-General to provide assistance to States, at their request, to enable them to establish the legislative and administrative measures necessary for the application of the Convention;

8. Urges all Member States to take appropriate steps in the General Assembly and its financial organs to assign the appropriate priority and approve the budgetary appropriations necessary to enable the Division of Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations Secretariat and the secretariat of the International Narcotics Control Board to carry out their additional responsibilities under the Convention;

9. Invites the Secretary-General to identify the financial, technical and human resources required by those bodies to carry out their additional responsibilities in relation to the Convention and, within existing resources, to make every effort to assign the necessary resources to the drug control units for the biennium 1990-1991.