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1. INTRODUCTION

BOX 1.1

United Nations drug control conventions
The three major international drug control treaties are mutually supportive and
complementary. An important purpose of the first two treaties is to codify
internationally applicable control measures in order to ensure the availability of
narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes,
and to prevent their diversion into illicit channels. They also include general
provisions on illicit trafficking and drug abuse.

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
This Convention recognizes that effective measures against abuse of narcotic
drugs require coordinated and international action. There are two forms of
intervention and control that work together. First, it seeks to limit the possession,
use, trade in, distribution, import, export, manufacture and production of drugs
exclusively to medical and scientific purposes. Second, it combats drug
trafficking through international cooperation to deter and discourage drug
traffickers.

Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971
The Convention noted with concern the public health and social problems resulting
from the abuse of certain psychotropic substances and was determined to prevent
and combat abuse of such substances and the illicit traffic which it gives rise to.
The Convention establishes an international control system for psychotropic
substances by responding to the diversification and expansion of the spectrum
of drugs of abuse, and introduced controls over a number of synthetic drugs
according to their abuse potential on the one hand and their therapeutic value on
the other.

United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances, 1988
This Convention sets out a comprehensive, effective and operative international
treaty that was directed specifically against illicit traffic and that considered
various aspects of the problem as a whole, in particular those aspects not
envisaged in the existing treaties in the field of narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances. The Convention provides comprehensive measures against drug
trafficking, including provisions against money laundering and the diversion of
precursor chemicals. It provides for international cooperation through, for
example, extradition of drug traffickers, controlled deliveries and transfer of
proceedings.
Source: United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (available on the
Internet at http://www.odccp.org/odccp/un_treaties_and_resolutions.html).

Note: In October 2002 the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime
Prevention (ODCCP) changed its name to the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (ODC).

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