World leaders recently came together in Vienna for the 59th session of the Commission for Narcotic Drugs (CND) and in preparation for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in April 2016. This meeting aimed to review the progress in the implementation of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on international cooperation towards an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem, including the assessment of achievements and challenges.
The meeting reaffirmed commitment to the objectives of the three international drug control conventions, including concern with the health and welfare of humankind as well as the individual and public health-related, social and safety problems resulting from the abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, especially among children and young people, and drug-related crime. It also reaffirmed the United Nations determination to prevent and treat the abuse of such substances and prevent and counter their illicit cultivation, production, manufacturing and trafficking.
Various issues were addressed during the meeting, including the availability of narcotic substances and the identification of present barriers. The meeting’s outcome document states: “We note with concern that the availability of internationally controlled drugs for medical and scientific purposes, including for the relief of pain and suffering, remains low to non-existent in many countries of the world, and we highlight the need to enhance national efforts and international cooperation at all levels to address that situation by promoting measures to ensure their availability and accessibility for medical and scientific purposes, within the framework of national legal systems, while simultaneously preventing their diversion, abuse and trafficking, in order to fulfil the aims and objectives of the three international drug control conventions.”
In a written comment on the CND outcome document, Joan Marston, Chief Executive of the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN), notes the following, “The ICPCN is delighted to read of the operational recommendations on ensuring the availability of and access to controlled substances exclusively for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing their diversion within the Resolution adopted at the 59th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna from the 14-22 March 2016 in preparation for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem. While patients, especially infants, children and young people, continue to suffer unnecessary pain due to lack of access to medicines that could effectively relieve their suffering, in many countries of the world, CNDs strong commitment to improving access and breaking down the barriers to access to these medicines is encouraging. ICPCN further calls on CND to ensure that these medicines are available in paediatric formulations and that the special assessment and treatment needs of children are recognised and addressed. We further wish to congratulate those who advocated so strongly for palliative care and access to pain relief within this document and look forward to a world where no child suffers unnecessary pain.”
The UN General Assembly plan to hold a review of the drug control system from April 19–21, 2016, in New York City.
Leave a Reply