Assistance to end illegal or uncontrolled production of raw narcotic drugs
Technical assistance in the field of narcotics
Pages: 1 to 2
Creation Date: 1969/01/01
On 19 December 1968, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution 2434 (XXIII) which opens the way to fighting the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs at the source - by putting an end to the illicit or uncontrolled production of opium, cannabis and the coca leaf. The resolution asks the Secretary-General to develop plans together with the international bodies concerned, and in consultation with interested Governments, for technical assistance to progressively cut down the supply of narcotic raw materials. It is well known that practically every gramme of narcotic drugs in the illicit traffic can be traced to the production of the natural narcotics, usually in areas where it is illegal or outside government control.
The General Assembly's resolution is based on views formulated at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the former Permanent Central Narcotics Board (now succeeded by the International Narcotics Control Board) that the countries where such production takes place need help in making the populations which depend on narcotic crops switch over to the cultivation of other crops, and other forms of economic activity. In this resolution the international community has thus recognized that the Governments concerned - who are generally in the under-developed parts of the world - cannot be left to fight this problem alone: the international organizations and friendly countries interested in putting an end to the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs must come to their aid.
As action begins to be taken along the lines laid down in this unanimous decision of the General Assembly, it is hoped that supplies of opium and the opiates, coca leaf and cocaine, and cannabis in its many forms will be reduced. It is no doubt a long-term endeavour but the first steps towards this goal can now be taken. -
The Secretary-General will be submitting proposals to the Economic and Social Council in the sense of this resolution, and the General Assembly will review the matter again at its twenty-fifth session in the autumn of 1971.
The text of the Assembly's resolution is as follows:
The General Assembly,
Considering the responsibility that the United Nations exercises in the field of narcotic drugs under Chapter IX of the Charter of the United Nations and under the international narcotics treaties,
Conscious of the fact that narcotic drug abuse cannot be efficiently combated if the sources of the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs are not suppressed,
Recognizing that countries in which the narcotic raw materials are grown may not be able, by their own effort alone, to put an end to illicit cultivation,
Bearing in mind the recent reports to the Economic and Social Council on the work of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and of the Permanent Central Narcotics Board,
Recalling its resolution 1395 (XIV) of 20 November 1959 which established a continuing programme of technical assistance for narcotics control,
Considering that drug addiction constitutes, where it is widely spread, an obstacle to the economic and social development of the countries concerned and requires urgent and concerted efforts for its solution, which would have far-reaching and salutary effects on the ever-growing problem of drug abuse,
Requests the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the International Narcotics Control Board and in consultation with interested Governments, to develop plans for putting an end to the illegal or uncontrolled production of narcotic raw materials and to submit these plans, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth session;
Invites the specialized agencies, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to participate fully in the preparation of these plans;
Recommends that the Governments concerned develop plans to seek assistance from these agencies, from the United Nations Development Programme and from bilateral sources in their efforts to develop alternative economic programmes and activities, such as
the substitution of crops as one of the most constructive means of ending the illegal or uncontrolled cultivation of narcotic raw materials.
Resolution 2434 ( XXIII)
General Assembly, 19 December 1968