The United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS) was held in New York on June 8-10, 1998. It was a disappointing event. No evaluation of current repressive drug policies took place whatsoever. It was devoted to, as a New York Times editorial phrased it, "recycling unrealistic pledges".

The 50th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), held in Vienna from 12-16 March 2007 was the last such event before the watershed year of 2008, when the international community will review progress against the objectives set at the General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS), held in New York in 1998. The key decision that had to be taken at the 2007 CND was the timing and procedure for the UNGASS review.

On thursday 28 February 2008 the Dutch Parliamentary Justice Commission devoted its debate to the drugs UNGASS review. Martin Jelsma was invited as one of the experts to share with the commission TNI's views on the importance of the review process. In his contribution he highlights the opportunity to use the 2008/9 period to achieve a breakthrough on harm reduction acceptance at the UN level, to evaluate the performance of UN agencies like UNODC and the INCB, and to open the door for a revision of  the UN drug control treaty system.
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Background on the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drug Control
Martin Jelsma
TNI Briefing, March 1998

The review of the objectives and action plans agreed at the 1998 UNGASS on Drugs has reached a critical stage. Today and tomorrow, government representatives will start discussions in Vienna on a draft of the annex to the proposed political declaration. TNI has elaborated a series of comments and recommendations.

Weaknesses in the United Nations drug control system have often been identified, related to the functioning of the key organs – the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) –, related to collaboration with the wider UN system – the World Health Organistaion (WHO), UNAIDS, UN Development Programme (UNDP), etc. – and related to the outdated character of several treaty provisions.

Los puntos débiles del sistema de fiscalización de estupefacientes de la ONU se han señalado en numerosas ocasiones; problemas relacionados con el funcionamiento de organismos clave como la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito (ONUDD), la Junta Internacional de Fiscalización de Estupefacientes (JIFE) y la Comisión de Estupefacientes (CND); con su interacción con el resto del sistema de la ONU (la Organización Mundial de la Salud, ONUSIDA, el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo PNUD, etc.) y con el carácter obsoleto de numerosas disposiciones de los tratados.

The outcome of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was a disappointing compromise, based on a non-inclusive process and one that fails to reflect the fractured global consensus on drug policy.

La Comisión de Estupefacientes de la ONU culminó con un compromiso decepcionante, basado en un proceso no inclusivo y que no refleja el consenso fracturado en el ámbito de las políticas de drogas.