Economic and Social Council

 
36th plenary meeting
21 July 1997

 1997/41. Implementation of comprehensive measures to counter the illicit manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants and their precursors

The Economic and Social Council,

Deeply concerned about the economic and social consequences of the rapid and widespread increase in the illicit manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants listed in the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 1/ and their analogues,

Concerned about the continued availability to drug traffickers of chemicals listed in tables I and II of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988, 2/ and about the emergence of substitute chemicals and different processes used in the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants,

Aware of the progress made in the regulation and monitoring of shipments of controlled chemicals, resulting from cooperation between the competent national and regional authorities of a number of States and the assistance of the International Narcotics Control Board,

Recognizing the need for the establishment of a mechanism for the rapid exchange of information on shipments of concern of listed precursor chemicals and on suspicious shipments of those chemicals in particular,

Also recognizing the important role of the Board in monitoring and facilitating the implementation of measures designed to strengthen cooperation in preventing the diversion of chemicals into illicit manufacture of psychotropic substances and the diversion of psychotropic substances from licit manufacture and trade into illicit trafficking,

Welcoming the continuing efforts of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the Board to address, in a comprehensive way, problems of amphetamine-type stimulants, including activities related to the recommendations of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine-type Stimulants, held at Shanghai, China, from 25 to 29 November 1996,

Noting with appreciation the study entitled Amphetamine-type Stimulants: a Global Review, 3/ the report of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine-type Stimulants, 4/ the Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 1996 5/ and the report entitled Precursors and Chemicals Frequently Used in the Illicit Manufacture of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances: Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 1996 on the Implementation of article 12 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988, 6/

Welcoming the multifaceted nature of the recommendations contained in the report of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine-type Stimulants, which cover prevention, education, information, precursor control, legislation and regulation of amphetamine-type stimulants and their precursors,

Also welcoming the multilateral initiative jointly proposed by the United States of America and the European Union to prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals from international commerce,

Stressing the importance of the initiative of the European Union involving the launching of an early-warning mechanism, and welcoming its willingness to share experiences with Member States and with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme,

Recalling its resolutions 1995/20 of 24 July 1995 and 1996/29 of 24 July 1996,

I

GENERAL MEASURES

1. Takes note with appreciation of the recommendations of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine-type Stimulants, held at Shanghai, China from 25 to 29 November 1996, and encourages Governments to review the report of the Expert Meeting and all its recommendations thoroughly, with a view to the adoption of an appropriate decision on those recommendations by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its forty-first session;

2. Urges Governments to give serious consideration to implementing, to the extent possible, prior to their endorsement by the Commission, the recommendations of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine-type Stimulants;

3. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, drawing on extrabudgetary resources:

(a) To continue work in the field of amphetamine-type stimulants and to translate the recommendations of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine-type Stimulants into a practical action plan for subregional, regional and international implementation, as appropriate;

(b) To develop the recommendations of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine- type Stimulants into an appropriate format for consideration by the Commission at its forty-first session, with a view to making recommendations for endorsement by the General Assembly at its special session devoted to the fight against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related activities, to be held in June 1998;

4. Requests Governments and regional organizations, as they establish mechanisms for the collection of data on the licit and illicit manufacture, trafficking and use of amphetamine-type stimulants and their precursors, to cooperate and coordinate with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the International Narcotics Control Board;

5. Urges Governments to take the necessary measures for effective compliance with the provisions of the international drug control treaties relating to the advertisement of drugs, particularly those described in the report of the Expert Meeting on Amphetamine-type Stimulants;

6. Invites the Executive Director of the Programme, drawing on extrabudgetary resources, to consider the use of the Internet and other media tools to disseminate accurate and reliable information on amphetamine-type stimulants and their precursors;

7. Urges Governments to ensure rational use of medically prescribed amphetamine-type stimulants and, in particular, to monitor the safety and efficacy of their long-term administration.

II

MEASURES TO COUNTER THE ILLICIT MANUFACTURE, TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE OF AMPHETAMINE-TYPE STIMULANTS

1. Invites Governments and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, drawing on extrabudgetary resources where necessary, in collaboration with interested non-governmental organizations, to initiate and regularly evaluate public awareness campaigns, targeted at all levels of society, on the adverse health, social and economic consequences of amphetamine-type stimulants, and, in general, to strengthen demand reduction efforts at both national and international levels;

2. Requests the Executive Director of the Programme, drawing on extrabudgetary resources, and the Director-General of the World Health Organization, with the assistance of Governments:

(a) To identify, document and disseminate information on evidence-based practices applied in primary and secondary intervention in cases involving the abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants;

(b) To continue improving the level of understanding of, and developing the scientific basis necessary for, adequate policy-making, by undertaking, and coordinating as necessary, studies of an international nature on the health consequences, including treatment, and on the social, cultural and economic consequences of abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants;

3. Urges concerned Governments, in cooperation with relevant international organizations, such as the International Criminal Police Organization and the World Customs Organization, to establish regional and subregional initiatives for the exchange of information and technical cooperation, in order to promote coordinated international action in the fight against illicit demand for and supply of amphetamine-type stimulants and their precursors;

4. Requests the Executive Director of the Programme, drawing on extrabudgetary resources, to promote the further development of the drug profiling/signature analysis project in support of scientific approaches to law enforcement, and to provide Member States with technical support for profiling programmes designed to identify the sources and routes of illicit manufacture and trafficking;

5. Requests Governments to provide available evidence and data to the International Narcotics Control Board on chemicals frequently used in the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants, and requests the Board to assess that information for possible inclusion in a limited international special surveillance list to be established for use by the international community;

6. Urges Governments:

(a) To consider applying civil, criminal and administrative sanctions to those who knowingly supply non-controlled chemicals for the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants;

(b) To establish mechanisms for international cooperation between law enforcement and other relevant agencies, in order to support investigations where competent national authorities were able to determine that non-controlled chemicals were being used for the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants;

7. Urges Governments, in States where illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants exists:

(a) To improve, in particular by a system of licensing and inspection, the monitoring of the domestic manufacture and distribution of key precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants listed in table I of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988;

(b) To support research by competent authorities in order to determine which non-controlled chemical substances are being used in the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants;

8. Requests the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, drawing on extrabudgetary resources, in consultation with the International Narcotics Control Board, to assist Governments, as required, by providing technical advice on ways of establishing which non-controlled chemical substances are being used in the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants;

9. Urges Governments to establish the necessary legal basis for the prevention of the clandestine manufacture of and trafficking in new amphetamine-type stimulants, and for that purpose:

(a) To exchange information about the new non-controlled amphetamine- type stimulants with other concerned Governments;

(b) To consider developing flexible and anticipatory scheduling approaches for analogues of controlled substances and other substitutes, for example, by the emergency scheduling of structurally similar groups, or by the establishment of controls based on similarities in structure or pharmacological effects;

(c) To cooperate in ensuring the compatibility of such legislation;

10. Urges the Executive Director of the Programme, drawing on extrabudgetary resources, to initiate a review of the various means, such as generic scheduling, used by Governments to control amphetamine-type stimulants and their by-products or analogues that can be obtained by chemical modification, and that produce similar pharmacological effects, with the aim of facilitating discussion at all levels within the United Nations system, in order to curb the proliferation of those substances.

III

VERIFICATION OF THE LEGITIMACY OF TRANSACTIONS

1. Requests Governments to make every effort to verify the legitimacy of individual transactions involving precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants listed in table I and, where possible, those listed in table II of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988, using the guidelines disseminated by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme for use by national authorities in preventing the diversion of precursors and essential chemicals, which were endorsed by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1993/40 of 27 July 1993;

2. Requests Governments of States exporting those precursors referred to in paragraph 1 above, prior to permitting shipments to proceed, to inquire with the authorities of importing States about the legitimacy of transactions of concern, and to inform the International Narcotics Control Board of the action taken, particularly when they do not receive any reply to their inquiries;

3. Also requests Governments of States exporting such precursors to inform the States concerned and the Board, as soon as possible, if export orders are cancelled pending a reply to inquiries made to importing States;

4. Requests Governments of both importing and exporting States, in cooperation with the Board, to take appropriate action to protect the legitimate interests of industries that cooperate in inquiries to verify the legitimacy of transactions involving the precursors specified in paragraph 1 above;

5. Also requests Governments of importing and exporting States to take steps to initiate a cooperative, rapid and effective exchange of information, with each other and with the Board, concerning stopped or cancelled shipments of such precursors, in order to alert Governments of other States that might be targeted as points of diversion;

6. Encourages Governments to consider making voluntary contributions to assist the Programme in the implementation of the present resolution;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit the present resolution to all Governments for consideration and implementation as a matter of priority.

Notes

1/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1019, No. 14956.

2/ Official Records of the United Nations Conference for the Adoption of a Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Vienna, 25 November-20 December 1998, vol. I (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.94.XI.5).

3/ United Nations International Drug Control Programme Technical Series No. 3 (Vienna, 1996).

4/ E/CN.7/1997/6.

5/ United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.XI.3.

6/ United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.XI.4.

Date last posted: 6 December 1999 16:43:23
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