History of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs:
- Charles Henry Ludovic Sharman was the first chair of the CND.
- The CND’s predecessor was the Advisory Committee on the Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs under the League of Nations.
- Established in 1946 by ECOSOC resolution 9(I) after World War II.
- Initially had 15 member countries, including the US, UK, France, and the USSR.
- Took over all drug-related powers from the League of Nations at its first meeting in December 1946.
Functions and Mandate of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs:
- Treaty-based and normative functions under international drug control conventions.
- Operational and policy-guidance functions as the governing body of the UN International Drug Control Programme.
- Primary policymaking body for international drug control policy.
- Decides on the control of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors.
- Can add, transfer, or delete substances from control schedules.
Policy Guidance and Decision Making:
- Provides policy guidance for the UN International Drug Control Programme.
- Prepares and monitors policy documents addressing the global drug problem.
- Reviews progress in implementing international drug policy commitments.
- Approves the budget of the UN International Drug Control Programme.
- Decision-making follows the Rules of Procedure of the Functional Commissions of ECOSOC and is usually by consensus.
Meetings and Membership of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs:
- Convenes twice a year, with a main session usually in March and a reconvened session in December.
- Membership of 53 member states serving four-year terms.
- Membership distributed among regions according to the UN Regional Groups.
- Members elected from UN Member States, specialized agencies, and parties to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961.
- Decision-making process and voting procedures.
Criticism and Challenges:
- Lack of expertise and political influence in decision-making.
- Bureaucratic nature and limited coordination with other UN agencies.
- Lack of civil society representation and engagement.
- Criticism around the broken Vienna Consensus and challenges to global drug policy debates.
- The need for reform in international drug control policies and fractured consensus.