Chapter IV. Recommendations to Governments, the United Nations and other relevant international and regional organizations

IV. Recommendations to Governments, the United Nations and other relevant international and regional organizations

804. The Board monitors the implementation by Governments of the international drug control conventions and examines the functioning of the international drug control system at the national and international levels. Based on its analysis, the Board makes recommendations to Governments, international organizations and regional organizations to support implementation of the conventions.

805. In this chapter, the Board highlights the key recommendations contained in chapters II and III of the present report. The recommendations contained in chapter I are not included in chapter IV. In 2010, the Board decided to issue a supplement to the present report on the availability of internationally controlled drugs ,40 which will include several additional recommendations. Additional recommendations on the control of precursors are contained in the 2010 report of the Board on the implementation of article 12 of the 1988 Convention .41 The Board encourages Governments and relevant international and regional organizations to examine all the recommendations made by the Board and to implement them, as appropriate. The Board calls upon those concerned to keep the Board informed of their action in response to the recommendations.

806. In 2008, the Board decided to evaluate the implementation of the recommendations published in its reports for 2005, 2006 and 2007 by Governments and relevant international organizations. Information on the implementation of the recommendations made by the Board to relevant international organizations is contained in chapter II of this report; the information on the implementation of the Board’s recommendations by Governments will be published by the Board in due course.
40 Report of the International Narcotics Control Board on the Availability of Internationally Controlled Drugs: Ensuring Adequate Access for Medical and
Scientific Purposes (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.1 1.XI.7).
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A. Recommendations to Governments
807. The recommendations to Governments are grouped according to the following subject areas: treaty accession; treaty implementation and control measures; prevention of illicit drug production, manufacture, trafficking and abuse; prevention of diversion of precursors into the illicit traffic; and availability and rational use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical purposes.
1. Treaty accession
808. The 1961 Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the 1971 Convention and the 1988 Convention represent the basis of the international drug control system. The accession of all States and the universal implementation of the provisions of the conventions are a fundamental prerequisite for efficient drug control worldwide.
Recommendation 1: There remain 16 States, 10 of which are in Oceania, that are not yet parties to one or more of the international drug control treaties.42 In addition, Afghanistan and Chad continue to be parties to the 1961 Convention in its unamended form only. The failure by a State to accede to any of the treaties may weaken the collective efforts of the international community to prevent and combat illicit drug use and drug trafficking. The Board requests those States
42 The following States are not parties to the international drug control treaties and/or the 1972 Protocol amending the 1961 Convention:
(a)    States not parties to the 1961 Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol or to the 1961 Convention in its unamended form: Cook Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu;
(b)    States not parties to the 1972 Protocol amending the 1961 Convention: Afghanistan and Chad;
(c)    States not parties to the Convention of 1971: Cook Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Kiribati, Liberia, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu;
(d)    States not parties to the 1988 Convention: Equatorial Guinea, Holy See, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu.
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which are not yet parties to one or more of the international drug control treaties to accede to the treaties without further delay.
2. Treaty implementation and control measures
809. Universal accession to the three international drug control treaties will not be sufficient to address drug-related problems; that will require, in addition, universal implementation of all the provisions of the treaties and the effective application of the necessary control measures by all Governments.
Recommendation 2: Parties to the international drug control treaties have an obligation to furnish to the Board statistical reports on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, in accordance with the relevant provisions of those treaties. Some Governments are, however, not regularly complying with that obligation. The Board requests Governments to furnish, in a timely manner, accurate information in all statistical reports on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, as required under the conventions. Governments are encouraged to seek from the Board any information that will assist them in complying with their reporting obligations.
Recommendation 3: In some countries, the deficiencies in the submission of statistical reports to the Board are the result of the Governments providing insufficient resources to the authorities responsible for the control of licit activities involving narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or precursors. The Board calls upon the Governments concerned to provide adequate resources to ensure the compliance of those authorities with all reporting obligations under the international drug control treaties.
Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
Recommendation 4: Some Governments did not submit their estimates of requirements for narcotic drugs for 2011; therefore the estimates for those countries and their territories were established by the Board and will remain in force until the estimates established by the Governments concerned are received and confirmed by the Board. The Board calls upon the Governments concerned to examine their national requirements for narcotic drugs for 2011 and provide their own estimates to the Board for confirmation as soon as possible, in order to prevent any possible difficulties
in importing the quantities of narcotic drugs required for medical and scientific purposes.
Recommendation S: Pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolutions 1981/7 and 1991/44, Governments are requested to provide to the Board assessments of their annual domestic medical and scientific requirements for psychotropic substances in Schedules II, III and IV of the 1971 Convention. Some Governments have not submitted an update of their legitimate requirements for psychotropic substances in over three years. The Board calls upon all Governments to ensure adequacy of assessments of their annual medical and scientific requirements for psychotropic substances and when necessary inform the Board of modifications to their assessments. The Board recommends that Governments review and update the assessments at least every three years.
Recommendation 6: The 1971 Convention allows Governments to exempt from some control measures foreseen under that Convention certain preparations that contain psychotropic substances and that present a negligible risk of abuse. Some Governments exempted preparations containing psychotropic substances from certain control measures but failed to notify the Secretary-General of those exemptions, as required by article 3 of the 1971 Convention. Such notifications are necessary to inform other Governments of those exemptions with a view to ensuring that reducing controls in one country does not result in diversion and abuse of those preparations in other countries. The Board requests all Governments that are exempting certain preparations at the national level from some control measures foreseen in the 1971 Convention and that have not yet notified the Secretary-General of those exemptions, to do so without delay.
Recommendation 7: Most Governments have introduced the import and export authorization system for all psychotropic substances in Schedules III and IV of the 1971 Convention. That system has proved particularly effective in preventing diversion of those substances from international trade. Traffickers may target countries in which controls are less strict than in other countries. The Board urges the Governments of countries in which national legislation does not yet require import and export authorizations for all psychotropic substances in Schedules III and IV of the 1971 Convention to extend such controls to all
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substances in those schedules as soon as possible and to inform the Board accordingly.
Precursors
Recommendation 8: In seeking to implement key provisions of article 12 of the 1988 Convention, States have increasingly adopted legal and regulatory control measures aimed at stemming the diversion of substances in Tables I and II. Those measures have limited the diversion of internationally controlled precursors into illicit channels and have forced traffickers to resort to new means of circumventing control measures. The trends noted include the illicit manufacture of controlled precursors, in particular precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants, using substances not under international control. The Board calls upon Governments to use form D to report to the Board incidents involving the diversion or seizure of non-controlled substances used in the illicit manufacture of precursors, in order to facilitate the evaluation of those substances by the Board, with a view to possibly including them on the limited international special surveillance list of non-scheduled substances or recommending their inclusion in Table I or II of the 1988 Convention.
Recommendation 9: Approximately 40 per cent of Governments have not yet provided estimates of their annual requirements for certain precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants. Moreover, many Governments that provided estimates in the past have not ensured that the information on record is up to date, despite the fact that their legitimate requirements for certain precursors may have changed. The Board calls upon Governments to comply with the request contained in Commission on Narcotic Drugs resolution 49/3 and ensure the timely submission and continued accuracy of their estimates for certain precursors. That is necessary to ensure that the estimates can continue to be used to identify suspicious transactions involving those particular precursors.
Recommendation 10: PEN Online, the automated online system for the exchange of pre-export notifications, has continued to be a key tool in global efforts to prevent the diversion of precursors from international trade. Governments of countries in Africa account for half of the Governments that have not yet registered for the system. The Board requests all
Governments that have not yet done so to register for the PEN Online system. The Board calls upon all Governments registered for PEN Online to use the system on a regular basis to enable them to respond in a timely manner to requests from exporting countries regarding the legitimacy of shipments of precursors.
3. Prevention of illicit drug production,
manufacture, trafficking and abuse
810. Parties to the international drug control treaties have an obligation to limit to legitimate purposes the production, manufacture, export, import and distribution of, trade in and use of internationally controlled substances and to prevent their diversion and abuse.
Recommendation 11: Prevention of the illicit cultivation, production, manufacture and abuse of narcotic drugs in Afghanistan continues to be of the utmost importance to the Government of Afghanistan and the international community. The Government of Afghanistan is in the process of updating its National Drug Control Strategy. The Board urges the Government of Afghanistan to vigorously pursue its drug control efforts and to ensure that the updated National Drug Control Strategy includes effective measures to eliminate the cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis plant and the manufacture of heroin. The Board calls upon the international community to continue to assist, in a coordinated manner, the Government of Afghanistan in those areas.
Recommendation 12: The Board notes with concern an upswing in illicit opium poppy cultivation in countries in South-East Asia, in particular in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar, during the 2009 growing season. The Board urges the Governments concerned to strengthen their efforts to prevent a resurgence of illicit opium poppy cultivation.
Recommendation 13: The region of Central America and the Caribbean continues to be used as a major transit area for illicit drug shipments. Given the lack of institutional capacity and the limited resources available, countries in that region continue to experience difficulties in strengthening and enforcing drug control measures. Weak law enforcement in the region has led to a marked increase in violent crime and corruption and, in many countries, has severely
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undermined economic and political stability. The Board calls upon Governments of countries in Central America and the Caribbean to ensure the enforcement of their drug control measures and to coordinate their efforts through initiatives for regional cooperation.
Recommendation 14: The surveys conducted by Governments and UNODC indicate that the total area under illicit coca bush cultivation in South America decreased in 2009. That decrease can, in particular, be attributed to a significant reduction in the area under illicit coca bush cultivation in Colombia, which counterbalanced increases in the area under such cultivation in Bolivia (Plurinational State of) and Peru. The Board encourages the Government of Colombia to continue its efforts to eliminate illicit coca bush cultivation on its territory and to ensure the sustainability of the positive results achieved so far.
Recommendation 15: In 2009, the total area under illicit coca bush cultivation in the Plurinational State of Bolivia increased for the fourth consecutive year — an increase of 22 per cent over the figure for 2005. The Board calls upon the Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to adopt effective policies and strengthen its efforts to eliminate illicit coca bush cultivation on its territory, as well as to address in a decisive manner the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in cocaine.
Recommendation 16: The key objectives of the Peruvian national drug control plan for the period 2007-2011 include significantly reducing the total area under illicit coca bush cultivation in the country and preventing illicit coca bush cultivation from being introduced in areas of the country not affected by such cultivation so far. The Board notes with concern that despite the Government’s efforts to eliminate the illicit cultivation of coca bush, the objectives of the current national drug control plan are not being met, as evidenced by the fact that the total area under illicit coca bush cultivation in the country has been increasing since 2005. The Board urges the Government of Peru to strengthen its illicit crop eradication efforts in order to eliminate illicit coca bush cultivation in the country. Furthermore, the Board encourages the Government of Peru to adopt further measures to strengthen the interdiction capacity of its national drug control agencies.
Recommendation 17: In spite of the general acceptance of the principle that all Governments share responsibility for tackling drug-related problems, some countries in which drugs are illicitly produced, in particular low-income countries, lack adequate financial resources to address illicit drug production in a decisive manner. The Board calls upon the international community, including the Governments of developed countries, to provide further financial support and technical assistance to assist the Governments concerned in intensifying their efforts to counter illicit drug production.
Recommendation 18: The system of estimates of annual legitimate requirements is an important control measure to prevent diversion of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances from international trade. The Board calls upon Governments to respect the system of estimates and assessments pursuant to the 1961 Convention and relevant Economic and Social Council resolutions by ensuring that their estimates and assessments are in line with their actual legitimate requirements and that no imports of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances exceeding those requirements are authorized. The Board also calls upon the Governments of exporting countries to regularly check the estimates and assessments of importing countries and not to authorize exports of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances that are not in line with legitimate requirements.
Recommendation 19: Investigations in South Africa revealed that large amounts of cathine, a stimulant in Schedule III of the 1971 Convention, were licitly imported into that country and then purchased by criminal organizations for use in clandestine laboratories illicitly manufacturing amphetamine-type stimulants. The Board calls upon all Governments to monitor shipments of cathine, in particular when they are destined for Africa, in order to prevent the illicit use of that substance in countries in the region where national control measures may not be adequate and to consult the Board in cases where there are doubts about the legitimacy of those transactions.
Recommendation 20: The diversion of pharmaceutical preparations containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances from domestic distribution channels and their abuse continue to pose problems in many
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countries. Such diversions often indicate loopholes in national drug control legislation or insufficient monitoring of compliance with existing legislation or regulations. The Board requests Governments that are faced with problems involving the diversion of, trafficking in or abuse of pharmaceutical preparations containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances to identify the source of the diverted preparations and take measures to prevent such activity.
Recommendation 21: Cases involving the diversion of pharmaceutical preparations containing substances used in substitution treatment, such as buprenorphine, methadone and morphine, continue to be reported. The Board requests the Governments of all countries that have substitution treatment programmes and that are faced with problems involving the diversion and abuse of preparations used in such treatment to examine the control measures applied with a view to closing any loopholes and prevent their diversion and abuse while making them available for use in medical treatment.
Recommendation 22: The Board publishes on a secure area of its website, which is accessible to specifically authorized Government officials only, a summary of the national requirements in place in individual countries for authorizing the import and export of ketamine, in compliance with Commission on Narcotic Drugs resolution 49/6, entitled “Listing of ketamine as a controlled substance”. The Board calls upon Governments to review that information on the website of the Board in order to inform themselves about any restrictions to international trade in ketamine that may be in place in other countries and to respect those restrictions.
Recommendation 23: The abuse of 4-methylmethcathinone (a “designer drug” also known as “mephedrone” or 4-MMC) and other “designer drugs” used as stimulants, has been reported in a growing number of countries and regions. The Board recommends that all Governments should closely monitor trends in substance abuse on their territory, with a view to identifying new substances of abuse, such as “designer drug” stimulants. Governments are urged to share with the Board and WHO any new trends in substance abuse. If necessary, Governments that have not yet done so should take immediate action to place mephedrone
and other “designer drug” stimulants under national control. To that end, Governments might consider generic scheduling, where it is allowed by national legislation. Governments might also consider notifying the Secretary-General of problems involving the abuse of mephedrone on their territory, with a view to adding the substance to Schedules I, II, III or IV of the 1971 Convention.
Recommendation 24: The Governments of some countries, in particular in South America, have experienced problems with regard to the abuse by inhalation of volatile organic compounds containing various alkyl nitrites, which are commonly referred to as “poppers”. The Board recommends that Governments share with WHO information on health issues related to the abuse of “poppers”.
Recommendation 25: Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists have emerged as a new class of substances of abuse. These substances are added to herbal mixtures, marketed under brand names such as Spice, which are sold through the Internet and in specialized shops. The Board recommends to Governments to continue monitoring the abuse of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and to adopt measures to prevent their trafficking and abuse. All Governments are encouraged to continue to provide the Board with information regarding the extent of abuse of and trafficking in products containing those substances and measures that have been adopted to counter such abuse.
Recommendation 26: Many Governments have, pursuant to Commission on Narcotic Drugs resolution 53/7, introduced measures to tackle the problem of covert administration of psychoactive substances to facilitate the commission of sexual assault or other criminal acts. The Board welcomes initiatives launched by some Governments, in cooperation with industry, to prevent the diversion and use of medicines for the commission of drug-facilitated crime. The Board calls upon all Governments that have not yet done so and that are affected by such problems, to consider taking appropriate measures to prevent the covert administration of psychoactive substances to commit sexual assault or other types of crime.
Recommendation 27: The wide availability of cannabis seeds, which are not controlled under the international drug control treaties, contributes to the illicit cultivation of cannabis plants. The Board is
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particularly concerned about the widespread sale over the Internet of cannabis seeds that are used for illicit purposes. The Board encourages all Governments to continue identifying good practices in addressing the use of cannabis seeds for illicit purposes and to consider appropriate measures at the national level to effectively prevent that activity. Those measures may include, for instance, trade restrictions on cannabis seeds capable of germination or on seeds of cannabis plant varieties with a THC content exceeding a certain threshold. The Board calls upon Governments to increasingly monitor cases involving the use of the Internet to sell cannabis seeds to be used for illicit purposes and to strengthen efforts to stop such activity. In that connection, the Board also calls upon Governments to apply article 3, paragraph 1 (c) (iii), of the 1988 Convention, which requires States parties to establish as a criminal offence public incitement or inducement of others to engage in, inter alia, the illicit cultivation of cannabis plants and the illicit use of cannabis.
Recommendation 28: The Guidelines for Governments on Preventing the Illegal Sale of Internationally Controlled Substances through the Internet43 were launched by the Board in March 2009. The Board sent out a questionnaire in 2010 to all Governments to assess the progress achieved in implementing the Guidelines. The Board calls upon Governments that have not yet done so to furnish to the Board their responses to the questionnaire on the implementation of the Guidelines. The Board requests all Governments to implement the Guidelines.
4. Prevention of diversion of precursors into the illicit traffic
811. Parties to the 1988 Convention have an obligation to prevent the diversion of precursors for subsequent use in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.
Recommendation 29: The Board prepares each year a report on the implementation of article 12 of the 1988 Convention and that report contains recommendations to Governments on the control of precursors. The Board calls upon Governments to
43 United Nations publication, Sales No. E.09.XI.6. implement the additional recommendations contained in the 2010 report of the Board on the implementation of article 12 of the 1988 Convention. 44
Recommendation 30: As access to ephedrine and pseudoephedrine has become subject to a growing array of control measures, traffickers have sought to adapt their manufacturing techniques by using as a source for those precursors pharmaceutical preparations and natural products containing the precursors, which may be beyond the scope of existing national drug control measures. The Board calls upon all Governments to enact effective measures to control ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in the form of pharmaceutical preparations and natural products in the same manner as they control the substances themselves.
Recommendation 31: The Board has noted that there continue to be cases involving the diversion of acetic anhydride from domestic distribution channels (especially in Europe and East Asia) and its subsequent smuggling into regions in which heroin is illicitly manufactured. The Board calls upon all Governments to evaluate the efficiency of their control measures applied to domestic trade in acetic anhydride and to adopt further measures as deemed necessary to prevent such diversions.
Recommendation 32: The Board is concerned about the legitimacy of large shipments of P-2-P to countries in West Asia, in particular Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic; Iraq has been the final destination of some of those shipments. P-2-P, a precursor of amphetamine, might have been used in the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants in the region. The Board requests the Governments of all countries in West Asia to ensure that adequate controls over P-2-P are in place and to revise their annual requirements for that substance.
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5. Availability and rational use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical purposes
812. One of the key objectives of the international drug control treaties is to ensure the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes and to promote access to and rational use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Recommendation 33: In Commission on Narcotic Drugs resolution 53/4, entitled “Promoting adequate availability of internationally controlled licit drugs for medical and scientific purposes while preventing their diversion and abuse”, the Commission invited the Board to include in its report for 2010 information on the consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances used for medical and scientific purposes worldwide, including an analysis of impediments to their adequate availability and actions to be taken to overcome those impediments and, when available, specific information about the status of progress made by countries. In response to that request, the Board decided to issue, as a supplement to the present report, a report on the availability of internationally controlled drugs. The Board calls upon Governments to implement recommendations contained in its report on the availability of internationally controlled drugs.45
Recommendation 34: Under the 1971 Convention, Governments have no obligation to furnish to the Board information on the consumption of psychotropic substances. However, reliable data on the consumption of psychotropic substances are necessary to enable the Board to analyse current consumption and promote the adequate availability of psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes while preventing their diversion and abuse, as required under Commission on Narcotic Drugs resolution 53/4. The Board encourages Governments to consider providing the Board with information on the consumption of psychotropic substances in the same manner as for narcotic drugs.
Recommendation 35: Large parts of the world remain
seriously undersupplied with medications that are
necessary to alleviate patients’ pain and suffering. The
45 United Nations publication, Sales No. E.11.XI.7. Board urges the Governments of the countries concerned, in particular the Governments of countries with consumption of opioids below 100 defined daily doses for statistical purposes (S-DDD)46 per million inhabitants per day, to take appropriate action to ensure that their populations have adequate access to opioid-based medications, in line with the international drug control conventions.
Recommendation 36: In a number of countries, high prescription levels for certain narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances have led to the diversion and abuse of those substances. The Board encourages Governments to remain vigilant and identify consumption levels that are inappropriate and/or not required for sound medical practice.
Recommendation 37: The accurate estimation of requirements for internationally controlled substances is an essential step in ensuring their adequate supply for medical and scientific purposes. While poor estimation of requirements can contribute to problems in the use of controlled substances, notably shortages or irrational prescribing, it can also lead to surpluses, wastage and an increased risk of diversion. The Board urges Governments to properly apply the systems of estimates for narcotic drugs and assessments for psychotropic substances as an important tool in ensuring adequate availability of internationally controlled substances for legitimate purposes.
Recommendation 38: Emergency situations in the wake of natural and man-made disasters may create a sudden and acute need for medicines containing controlled substances. To address that issue, WHO, in consultation with the Board, prepared the Model Guidelines for the International Provision of Controlled Medicines for Emergency Medical Care. 47 The Board calls upon Governments to ensure that competent authorities are aware of and prepared for the simplified procedures contained in the Guidelines so as to expedite the supply of controlled
46 The concept of defined daily doses for statistical purposes is explained in the Report of the International Narcotics Control Board on the Availability of Internationally Controlled Drugs: Ensuring Adequate Access for Medical and Scientific Purposes.
47 World Health Organization, Model Guidelines for the International Provision of Controlled Medicines for Emergency Medical Care, document WHO/PSA/96.17.
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medicines as soon as the need arises. Governments and humanitarian relief agencies are encouraged to bring to the attention of the Board any problems encountered in the working of emergency deliveries of controlled medicines. Governments may also wish to include in their special stocks of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances quantities that are necessary to meet the need for such substances in the event of an emergency situation.
B. Recommendations to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and to the World Health Organization
813. UNODC is the primary United Nations entity responsible for providing technical assistance in drug control matters, as well as coordination of such assistance provided by Governments and other organizations. The treaty-based function of WHO is to provide recommendations, based on medical and scientific assessments, regarding changes in the scope of control of narcotic drugs under the 1961 Convention and psychotropic substances under the 1971 Convention. WHO plays also a key role in supporting the access to and the rational use of substances under international control.
Recommendation 39: A large proportion of Governments have not been submitting to the Board on a regular basis their mandatory statistical reports on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or precursors. That is particularly the case for Governments of countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania. The difficulties encountered by the Governments of several countries in those regions in submitting statistical reports indicate major deficiencies in their national regulatory mechanisms for controlled substances. The Board requests UNODC to support the secretariat of the Board in assisting the Governments of the countries concerned in Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania in strengthening their capacity to ensure adequate oversight and regulatory control with regard to licit activities involving narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and to prevent the diversion of precursors.
Recommendation 40: The region of Central America and the Caribbean continues to be used as a major transit area for illicit drug shipments. Given the lack of institutional capacity and the limited resources
available, States in Central America and the Caribbean continue to experience difficulties in strengthening and enforcing drug control measures. Weak law enforcement in the region has led to a marked increase in violent crime and corruption and in many States severely undermined economic and political stability. The Board appreciates the recent opening in Panama City of the UNODC Regional Programme Office for Central America, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, as well as the establishment of four centres of excellence in the region. The Board encourages UNODC to continue to assist Governments in the region through capacity-building initiatives.
Recommendation 41: The Board appreciates the various initiatives implemented by UNODC to provide technical assistance to countries in Africa in fighting the illicit drug traffic, particularly in West Africa, such as the West Africa Coast Initiative, AIRCOP and the Container Control Programme, which are implemented by UNODC in cooperation with other agencies such as the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the Secretariat, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization. The Board calls upon UNODC as well as other bilateral and multilateral partners to continue to assist Governments in the region through capacity-building measures for law enforcement as well as judicial capacity-building.
Recommendation 42: The abuse of “designer drug” stimulants, such as mephedrone, which has been a problem in many countries and regions, cannot be tackled by national countermeasures alone, as trends in drug abuse spread quickly within and among regions. The Board encourages UNODC, through its Laboratory and Scientific Section, and WHO to develop effective measures to deal with the problem of “designer drugs”.
Recommendation 43: WHO has, for some time, not been able to convene its Expert Committee on Drug Dependence to assess substances for possible scheduling under the 1961 Convention and the 1971 Convention, a situation that has serious repercussions for the international drug control system. The Board calls upon WHO to resume, as soon as possible, its activities regarding review of psychoactive substances for international control, in accordance with the responsibilities by WHO under the 1961 Convention and the 1971 Convention.
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Recommendation 44: The Commission on Narcotic Drugs, in its resolution 53/7, urged WHO, UNODC and the Board to counter the covert administration of psychoactive substances related to sexual assault and other criminal acts. The Board calls upon WHO to cooperate with UNODC and the Board to implement resolution 53/7 as soon as possible.
C. Recommendations to other relevant international organizations
814. International organizations such as INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization play an important role in international drug control. In cases where States require additional operational support in specific areas such as drug law enforcement, the Board addresses relevant recommendations pertaining to the specific spheres of competence of the relevant international and regional organizations, including INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization.
Recommendation 45: A large proportion of Governments have not been submitting to the Board on a regular basis their mandatory statistical reports on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or precursors. That is particularly the case for Governments of countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania. The difficulties encountered by the Governments of several countries in those regions in submitting statistical reports indicate major deficiencies in their national regulatory mechanisms for controlled substances. The Board requests relevant regional organizations to provide support to the Governments of the countries concerned in Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania in strengthening their capacity to control licit activities involving narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and to prevent the diversion of precursors.
Recommendation 46: The region of Central America and the Caribbean continues to be used as a major transit area for illicit drug shipments. Given the lack of institutional capacity and the limited resources available, States in Central America and the Caribbean continue to experience difficulties in strengthening and enforcing drug control measures. Weak law enforcement in the region has led to a marked increase in violent crime and corruption and in many States severely undermined economic and political stability.
The Board invites CICAD to assist Governments in the region through capacity-building programmes.
Recommendation 47: In many countries, law enforcement officers’ awareness of the diversion of and trafficking in precursors continues to be insufficient. The Board calls upon INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization to support training for law enforcement officers in preventing trafficking in precursors.
(Signed)    (Signed)
Hamid Ghodse    Raymond Yans
President    Rapporteur
(Signed)
Jonathan Lucas
Secretary
Vienna, 12 November 2010