STATEMENT BY DR.O.SCHRÖDER PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD

Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates,

On many occasions, the INCB has made comments and proposals for the strengthening of international drug control. We do it always in our statements during the CND and ECOSOC sessions and primarily, we raise our voice in our annual reports.

In order to avoid any repetition I can be rather brief. I would like to draw the attention of the distinguished delegates only to the following documents:

1) The supplement to our 1994 annual report, entitled the "Effectiveness of the international drug control treaties" contains proposals for improving the control measures in the Conventions. A summary of those proposals is also included in pragraph 21 of the 1994 annual report (E/INCB/1994/1) for consideration by Member States with due regard to more recent development.

2) In the 1995 annual report in pragraph 37, you will find our proposals for a strengthening of the combat against money-laundering (E/INCB/1995/1).

3) This year, we have just discussed with you our ideas on more effective national criminal justice systems, contained in our annual report for 1996 (E/INCB/1996/1), where we would like to draw your attention in particular to the recommendations in pragraph 37.

4) Through the INCB secretariat, we have actively participated in the outcome of the Shanghai Conference on stimulants in November 1996. In two special papers we made proposals for a more reasonable medical use of anorectics and methylphenidate.

5) The recommendations on the control of precursors that we have made since 1990 are summarized in Annex V of the special report on the implementation of article 12 of the 1988 Convention (E/INCB/1996/4).

For the time being, I cannot add anything further to these various proposals which I sincerely suggest to be considered in the preparation of the Special Session of the General Assembly.

Mr. Chairman, with your permission, I would like to add another issue here.

The Board noted with appreciation the support from Member States received and the wish to strengthen the functions and the work of the Board. If the Member States want to strengthen the role of INCB, as many delegates have indicated over the recent years, you may wish to keep the following in mind:

Under the 1961 and 1971 Conventions, the Board has an overall mandate for controlling the implementation of these Conventions.

Under the 1988 Convention, the Board has been given an explicit monitoring mandate only for specific articles. However, as it is the practice during our missions to Member States, we also monitor the implementation of the 1988 Convention as a whole.

All the provisions of the 1988 Convention are closely linked to the provisions of the 1961 and 1971 Conventions to combat illicit cultivation, production, trafficking and abuse and were ageed upon to strengthen the control measures in the earlier Conventions.

Our monitoring functions can only be meaningful if compliance of Governments with the 1961 and 1971 Conventions, together with compliance of the 1988 Convention, is considered by the Board at the same time and as a whole. This was also reflected in one of the pre-ambular paragraphs when the Commission adopted Resolution L.6.

Therefore, it might be appropriate for Member States to consider such a mandate to be given explicitly to the Board in a Declaration or Resolution to be adopted by the General Assembly.

I would like to repeat that in recent years the Board has in fact discussed with Governments all issues of drug control, also those related to the 1988 Convention and it has also made recommendations to governments concerned. I would like to underline that this took place primarily during its missions and within its available resources.

In closing Mr. Chairman, I would like to reiterate that INCB fully supports the work of Governments in preparing the special session of the General Assembly.