During the ninth session of the General Assembly, discussions took place in its Third and Fifth Committees on the international control of narcotic drugs, in connexion with the relevant sections of the report of theEconomic and Social Council to the General Assembly, and administrative and budgetary matters. The following delegates made statements in this discussion: the representatives for Argentina, Belgium, China, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Syria, USSR, United Kingdom, United States, Yugoslavia1 Reference was made to the illicit traffic, particularly in the Far East; the international Opium Protocol; the single convention; chewing of coca leaf; synthetic drugs; drug addiction.
Pages: 104 to 104
Creation Date: 1955/01/01
During the ninth session of the General Assembly, discussions took place in its Third and Fifth Committees on the international control of narcotic drugs, in connexion with the relevant sections of the report of theEconomic and Social Council to the General Assembly, and administrative and budgetary matters. The following delegates made statements in this discussion: the representatives for Argentina, Belgium, China, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Syria, USSR, United Kingdom, United States, Yugoslavia1 Reference was made to the illicit traffic, particularly in the Far East; the international Opium Protocol; the single convention; chewing of coca leaf; synthetic drugs; drug addiction.
In addition specific decisions were taken by the General Assembly on the transfer of the Division of Narcotic Drugs from the United Nations Headquarters in New York to Geneva and the establishment of a United Nations Narcotics Laboratory. The question of the location of the Division was considered as part of the general scheme of the reorganization of the United Nations Secretariat, which was outlined in the report of the Secretary-general to the eighth session of the General Assembly. The proposal to transfer the Division was made in the interests of a rationalization of the international control of narcotics, so that the Division could work in closer collaboration with the secretariat of the
A/C.3/SR. 587 through 593; A/C.5/SR. 435 through 450, 459, 460, 481.
Permanent Central Opium Board and the Drug Supervisory Body as well as with the World Health Organization. The Division would, however, remain a part of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and report on substantive matters directly to Headquarters. At its 515th meeting, on 17 December 1954, the General Assembly adopted unanimously a resolution (General Assembly resolution 886 (IX)) inviting the Secretary-General to proceed with the general plan referred to above.2 The establishment of a United Nations Narcotics Laboratory had been reviewed on previous occasions by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Economic and Social Council (Council resolution 548 D (XVIII)). The General Assembly had before it a note (document A/C.3/573) containing full information on this question. During the debate in the Third Committee, the Committee members agreed that the laboratory should not be set up before the next meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (i.e., April-May 1955) had reviewed the research programme. At its 512th plenary meeting, on 14 December 1954, the General Assembly approved, by 50 votes to none and 5 abstentions, a resolution (General Assembly resolution 834 (IX)) deciding to establish a United Nations Narcotics Laboratory in Geneva, subject to the aforementioned understanding. 3
2A/PV. 515.
3A/VP. 512.