UNODC is cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS
Role of Industry and Importance of their Partnership
In any drug supply control strategy it is important to involve all major players other than the law enforcement agencies. In that context the role of industry and trade is crucial.
India is the largest manufacturer of the precursor in the region comprising South and South West Asia. It manufacturers precursors which are most relevant to the region and these are acetic anhydride, ephedrine and pseudo ephedrine. The manufacturers of acetic anhydride, ephedrine and pseudo ephedrine have already adopted a VCC which has been in force for some years. A few other countries in the region also manufacture precursors in small quantities. Pakistan manufactures ephedrine and Bangladesh manufacturers Hydrochloric acid and Sulphuric acid. However all countries are importers of precursor chemicals which are required by them for legitimate use.
There is no uniformity either in the framing or implementation of the precursor control laws in the region. While India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have framed legislation and administrative regulations and have a competent legal regime, other countries are in the process of framing legislation, administrative and operational mechanism for control of precursors.
In view of the above uneven scenario, it is important for the industry and trade to self regulate in order to complement the efforts of the law enforcement to prevent diversion of precursor chemicals. The model Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) proposed by the UNODC Project RAS H60 presents a comprehensive system of maintenance of records for all categories, namely manufacturers, agents, distributors, dealers, captive consumers/actual users, exporters, importers and transporters. It also recognizes the importance of continuous cooperation of law enforcement with industry and trade and suggests ways to foster and strengthen cooperation between them.
