Reference: IAB/CSSS/177/97 CU 97/79

(ISM 97)

The Secretary-General of the United Nations presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of ...

and has the honour to inform the Government that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, acting as the preparatory body for the special session on international drug control which the General Assembly will convene in 1998, decided at its recently concluded fortieth session (Vienna, 18-27 March 1997) to hold a series of three informal open-ended intersessional meetings before its forty-first session, scheduled to take place from 24 February to 5 March 1998. The first such meeting will be held from 7 to 9 July 1997.

The General Assembly, acting on a proposal of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and a recommendation of the Economic and Social Council, decided in resolution 51/64 to convene a special session on international drug control and requested the Commission to act as its preparatory body. The Commission accordingly reserved part of its fortieth session for that purpose and held its first session as preparatory body on 26 and 27 March 1997. It will hold its second session as preparatory body from 27 February to 5 March 1998, in the course of its forty-first session.

During its first session as preparatory body, the Commission identified a number of elements for possible inclusion in the draft provisional agenda of the special session of the General Assembly, and proposed that the session be held from 8 to 10 June 1998. It also approved the provisional agenda for its second session as preparatory body, which is being brought to the attention of the Economic and Social Council for approval.

At its second session, it intends to further consider the draft provisional agenda for the special session of the General Assembly, the reports on the outcome of the three intersessional meetings, elements for inclusion in a draft political declaration and the draft declaration on the guiding principles of reduction of illicit demand of drugs, and to review the international drug control regime with a view to strengthening the United Nations drug control machinery.

To further its preparation of topics for consideration by the General Assembly, the Commission decided that each of the intersessional meetings would concentrate on specific issues. Thus, the first intersessional meeting will examine more particularly: (a) measures to counter illicit manufacture of, trade in and abuse of stimulants, and (b) measures to enhance the control and monitoring of precursors frequently used in the manufacture of illicit drugs. The specific measures which the second meeting, scheduled to take place from 7 to 9 October 1997, will address are (a) measures to promote judicial cooperation and (b) measures to counter money-laundering. The third meeting, to be held on 5 December 1997, immediately following the reconvened fortieth session of the Commission (3-4 December 1997), will: (a) examine eradication of illicit crops and alternative development, and (b) identify elements for possible inclusion in a statement reaffirming the political commitment of Governments to international drug control.

The intersessional meetings will not be called upon to examine in detail the question of demand reduction in view of the fact that a separate timetable has been established by the Commission for work on the draft declaration on the guiding principles of reduction of illicit demand for drugs. The results will be available in a progress report to the third intersessional meeting in December and will then be reported to the second session of the Commission acting as preparatory body for the special session.

An annotated agenda for the first intersessional meeting  is attached. Agendas for the second and third meetings will be sent later with reminder notes. Background documents are being prepared for each topic by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and will be distributed as soon as available.

The General Assembly has decided that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs will become open-ended when acting as the preparatory body for the special session. All Member States of the United Nations are accordingly invited to be represented at the intersessional meetings of the Commission. Non-member States and interested intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations may send observers. In view of the fact that the meetings are informal, no travel or other expenses will be borne by the United Nations.

It would be appreciated if information on the participation of the Government in the first intersessional meeting, including the names and titles of participants, could be communicated to the Executive Director, United Nations International Drug Control Programme, for the attention of the Commission and Secretariat Services Section, at the following address: Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria (Facsimile: 21345-5885; Telex: 135612; Cable address: UNATIONS VIENNA).

Timely notification of the above information is particularly important if assistance in obtaining an entry visa is required from the Secretariat.

20 May 1997