Contribution of the INCB to the high-level review of the implementation by Member States of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem

It is my hope that this selection of issues and measures will be taken into account during this important high-level review. The international drug control system was founded upon the principle of shared responsibility with a view to ensuring the health and welfare of mankind. The world drug problem will be effectively addressed only when global efforts to tackle the drug problem are unified and when the provisions of the treaties are universally implemented. At this critical juncture in international cooperation in drug control, INCB calls upon all Governments and the international community to take steps to ensure full compliance with the international drug control treaties and the functioning of the international drug control system, so as to prevent and reduce the unnecessary suffering caused by drug abuse, illicit drug manufacture and trafficking, and the unnecessary suffering resulting from inadequate availability to internationally controlled medicines.

i. Obstacles to the availability of internationally controlled substances for scientific purposes.

4. Concerned by those continuing difficulties, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs adopted resolution 54/3, on ensuring the availability of reference and test samples of controlled substances at drug-testing laboratories for scientific purposes. In the resolution, the Commission requested Member States to review, in consultation with the Board and UNODC, national procedures, in order to facilitate access to internationally controlled substances for use as test and reference samples by drug-testing laboratories.