FORUM: Economic and Social Council

QUESTION OF: Need for Balance between Demand and Supply for Opiates
for Scientific and Medical Purposes
MAIN SUBMITTER: Ukraine
CO-SUBMITTER: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
Recalling the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, in which the
growing of opiates for legal purposes, such as medical and scientific
purposes, is permitted, with mentioned conditions,
Further recalling its resolution 2006/34 of 27th July 2006 and 2007/9 of 25th
July 2007, as well as previous relevant resolutions,
Recognizing that the medical use of narcotic drugs, including opiates, is
indispensible for the relief of pain and suffering,
Emphasizing that the need for a balancebetween the global licit supply of
opiates and the legitimate demand for opiates used to meet medical and
scientific needs is central to the international strategy and policy of drug
control,
Acknowledging that the strict control on opium production may decrease
rapidly increasing employment numbers in the opiate manufacturing
industry, and thereby harm the economy of the country,
Noting with concern the proliferation of the cultivation of opium poppy in
certain areas than the traditional and established growing countries,
1. Recommends countries continue to support traditional producers of
opiates such as Turkey and India, as well as invest in non traditional
producers such as Afghanistan, the greatest producer of opiates
internationally, in order to reduce the illicit drug trade from the opiates
produced;
2. Urges all Governments to actively commence agencies for the specific
purpose of drug control, if not done so already, and to revise laws
pertaining to drug control with the state of mind to encourage progress;
3. Commends the work of NGOs that practice drug policy reform, in
particular Harm Reduction International, and urges governments to
support such groups and start other such NGOs to support drug addicts
during withdrawal process;

4. Strongly discourages any countries that have not yet engaged in the
production of opiates to commence production, whether licit or illicit, in
the interest of financially already existing producers as well as reducing
the surplus of opiates;
5. Encourages use of opiates for medical and scientific purposes, however
with catalouged utilization and protected storage, in order to reduce the
likelihood of opiates being stolen and sold illicitly;
6. Endorses the opinion that licensing Afghanistan as a legal opiate producer
would decrease the number of insurgent drug cartels, as well as make up
for the shortcomings of pain relief medicine in the developing world,
thereby making it readily available and less likely to be illegaly produced
to fulfill demand;
7. Requests all consumer countries of opiates to carefully audit the
necessary amount of opiates consumed legally annually and to only
purchase as much as absolutely required for medical and scientific
purposes of the country;
8. Further requests that producer countries only produce as much opiate as
required and reported by consumer countries;
9. Asks the International Narcotics Control Board to continue its efforts to
monitor the implementation of the relevant Economic and Social Council
resolutions in full compliance with the 1961 Convention and that
Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol;
10.

Decides to remain further seized on the matter.