INCB Watch

The objective of INCB Watch is to promote the transparency and accountability of the International Narcotics Control Board, by publishing news, publications and commentary about its activities.

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IDPC response to the INCB Annual Report for 2017

In the approach to the 2019 Ministerial Segment and its review of international drug control, the INCB’s Annual Report for 2017 is arguably of special importance. The INCB has chosen to stress the core importance of human rights and public health  principles in the implementation of drug control. However, the Board’s conception of human rights within drug control, at times, remains arguably narrow; for example, there is no comment on the human rights impact of crop eradication and drug-policy related violence. The Board’s analysis, as represented here, has shifted to take into account the complexity of contemporary drug markets and of the differing views on the merits and otherwise of international drug policies. To some extent at least, there is a recognition of the validity of divergent visions of drug control, as opposed to a ‘black and white’ understanding of these positions. 

Download the report (PDF)

INCB hearing on the use of cannabis for medical and non-medical purposes

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) held a meeting with civil society representatives on the “the use of cannabis for medical and non-medical purposes”. The meeting brought together a number of representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), selected by the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC), and members of the Board. Transnational Institute associate fellow and director of the Global Drug Policy Observatory (GDPO) Prof. Dave Bewley-Taylor, delivered a statement on how states can reconcile treaty obligations with democratically mandated policy shifts at the national level to a legally regulated cannabis market, with due regard for international law, and what role can the Board play in this process?

Download the statement (PDF)

INCB should exert caution in presenting data on cannabis regulation

At the recent 63^rd Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organisation of American States, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) member who was present, Raúl Martin Del Campo Sánchez, spoke on a panel titled “The link between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Drug Policy: A focus on international organisations”. At the end of a wide-ranging presentation that addressed the drug policy related facets of SDGs 3, 5, 10 and 16, Mr Del Campo Sánchez moved to present several final slides on the “Negative Effects of Cannabis Legalization in the USA”. It was unclear as to how the concluding slides related to the earlier part of the presentation, however Mr Del Campo Sánchez seemed quite determined to make the point that cannabis regulation initiatives at the state-level in the USA had only resulted in negative outcomes.

In bid to intimidate Canada on cannabis regulation, INCB is reckless and wrong

On May 1, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland appeared before the Canadian Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA) to discuss the international dimensions of Bill C-45 to regulate cannabis. She acknowledged that regulating cannabis would entail “contravening certain obligations related to cannabis under the three UN drug conventions,” adding that, “we have to be honest about that.” Asked about the ‘inter se’ proposal, whereby like-minded nations can negotiate amongst themselves to contract out of certain provisions of the treaty, Minister Freeland replied that the government had discussed the ‘inter se’ concept and that it was worth thinking about: “We are definitely open to working with treaty partners to identify solutions that accommodate different approaches to cannabis within the international framework.”

IDPC response to the INCB Annual Report for 2016

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Annual Report for 2016 is, as usual, a mixed bag of high quality data and sometimes doubtful political views. It is the final Report of the Presidency of Mr. Werner Sipp, and as such represents a comparatively progressive text, in contrast to many previous Reports. Despite this, the general – if ambivalent – acceptance of medical uses of internationally controlled drugs is contrasted by the Board’s continuing defence of the conventions in their current form and their opposition to any non-medical use. As evidenced within the Report for 2016, it seems certain that in this post-UNGASS/pre-2019 period, one of the Board’s key predicaments will be how to deal with the issue of regulated markets for the recreational use of cannabis and their operation beyond the confines of the current treaty framework.

Download the report (PDF - outside link)