The Commission on Narcotic Drugs: its mandate and functions

The Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 9 (I) of 16 February 1946 as the central policy-making body within the United Nations system dealing with drug-related matters. The Commission analyses the world drug situation and develops proposals to strengthen the international drug control system to combat the world drug problem. 

The General Assembly, in its resolution 46/185 of 20 December 1991, established the Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and expanded the mandate of the Commission to enable it to function as the governing body of the Programme. The General Assembly, at its twentieth special session held in 1998, devoted to countering the world drug problem, conferred additional mandates to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. UNDCP is administered as part of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). UNODC provides, through the Commissions Secretariat, substantive services to the Commission.

Functional Commission of the Economic and Social Council

As a functional Commission of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission assists the Council in supervising the application of international conventions and agreements dealing with narcotic drugs. It also advises the Council on all matters pertaining to the control of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors.

Treaty and normative functions: the Drug Control Conventions (1961, 1971, 1988) and instruments

The Commission performs the functions assigned to it by the international drug control treaties and in particular those under article 8 of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 30 March 1961, the Convention as amended by the Protocol of 25 March 1972; under article 17 of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 21 February 1971, and under article 21 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 19 December 1988. Pursuant to these provisions, the Commission is inter alia authorized to consider all matters pertaining to the aims of the Conventions and see to their implementation.

As a treaty organ under the 1961 and 1971 Conventions, the Commission decides, on the basis of recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO), to place, remove or transfer narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances under international control. Pursuant to the 1988 Convention, the Commission decides, upon the recommendation of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), to place or transfer precursor chemicals frequently used for the manufacture of illicit drugs in Table I or Table II of the 1988 Convention.

Monitoring the outcome of the 1998 General Assembly Special Session on countering the world drug problem

The General Assembly, at its twentieth special session on the world drug problem (8-10 June 1998), requested Member States to report biennially to the Commission on their efforts to meet the goals and targets for the years 2003 and 2008 agreed upon in the Political Declaration. The Assembly requested the Commission to analyse these reports in order to enhance the cooperative effort to combat the world drug problem.

The Commission requested the Executive Director of UNODC to prepare a biennial report based on information provided by Governments on progress made in implementing the action plans and measures adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session. The Commission considered, at its forty-fourth, forty-sixth, forty-eighth, fiftieth and fifty-first sessions in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008 respectively, the first biennial report, second biennial report, third biennal report, fourth biennal report and fifth report on the implementation of the twentieth special session of the General Assembly.

At its fiftieth session in March 2007, the Commission decided to convene a high-level segment during its fifty-second session in 2009 in order to allow additional time for conducting an objective, scientific, balanced and transparent global assessment of the implementation of the declarations and measures adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session.

The fifty-first session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs initiated the preparatory process for the high-level segment in 2009. It decided to establish open-ended, intergovernmental expert working groups to assess the achievement of the goals and targets set by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session, as well as areas requiring further action. The conclusions of the expert working groups shall be taken into account by the intersessional meetings of the Commission when drafting the political declaration to be considered by the Commission in 2009.

At the high-level segment, a political declaration and, as appropriate, other declarations and measures to enhance international cooperation should be considered and adopted, identifying future priorities and areas requiring further action, as well as goals and targets to be set in countering the world drug problem beyond 2009 to be submitted to the General Assembly.

Governing body of UNDCP

In resolution 1991/38 of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission was requested to give policy guidance to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, and to monitor its activities.

Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 46/185 of 20 December 1991, the Commission approves, on the basis of the proposals of the Executive Director of UNDCP, the budget of the Fund of UNDCP. The Fund was established by the General Assembly under the direct responsibility of the Executive Director of UNDCP to finance the Programme's operational activities. The Fund accounts for over 90 per cent of the resources available to the United Nations for drug control.

In resolution 1999/30 of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission was requested to enhance its functioning. To that end, the agenda of the Commission was structured into two distinct segments: a normative segment, during which the Commission discharges its treaty-based and normative functions; and an operational segment, during which the Commission exercises its role as the governing body of UNDCP.