The special session of the General Assembly (UNGASS) on the world drug problem took place more than ten years in New York, between 8 and June 10, 1998.

UNGASS 1998

Event was a tremendously disappointing as the current repressive policies on drugs are not subjected to any type of assessment. Instead, as I noted an editorial in The New York Times, the meeting was devoted to "recycle unrealistic commitments." Initially, the country was Mexico proposed the convening of an UNGASS on drugs, aiming to generate, ten years after the adoption of the Vienna Convention, a moment of global reflection. The Vienna Convention had established more stringent obligations to criminalize all aspects of the cultivation, production, distribution and possession of illegal drugs that the two previous conventions, the 1961 and 1971.

• For a detailed article on the history and development of the 1998 UNGASS, see: UNGASS: the unwritten history
• Official website of the special session (in English)
• Resolutions adopted at the UNGASS 1998

Review of ten years

Last year (between 10 and 14 March 2008) was held a thematic debate two days during the 51 session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) to discuss the process of evaluating the implementation of the policy statement and plans of action adopted at the special session of the General Assembly (UNGASS) 1998. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) prepared a report for UNGASS review. Subsequently initiated a 'period of global reflection' that will culminate in 2009 with a ministerial segment in the CND. Do you need to further clarify some aspects regarding the procedure? What space will civil society to participate in the various stages of the process? What kind of improvements in the functioning of the control system of the UN drug could expect or pursue?

After ten years, for 2009 during the 11th and 12th March, the High Level Segment of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs again dedicate an evaluation of the implementation of the political declaration and action plans of the Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS) 1998. The assessment will identify international drug policy for the next decade. What are the key issues on the table? What kind of progress can we expect in the operation of the drug control system of the UN? Do we need to reform the drug conventions of the UN?

Drug Control

The weaknesses of the control system of the UN drug have stated on numerous occasions, problems related to the functioning of key agencies such as UNODC, INCB and the CND, with its interaction with the rest of the system (WHO, UNAIDS, UNDP, etc..) and the outdated of numerous provisions of the treaties. What initiatives have been taken to date to achieve a more structural reform? Is there evaluation mechanisms able to put on the table the need for reform? How could strengthen the role of the UNODC-a neutral role and based on scientific evidence, as a center? How can these problems relate to the UN call for greater 'coherence of the system'?

What is UNGASS?

The TNI works on international drug policy since 1998, held the special session of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS) on drugs. This new report summarizes the lessons learned over ten years and advocates a control model based on respect for human rights: the right of citizens trapped in the underground economy to lead a decent life, decriminalization of drug use and promoting of harm reduction approaches when shown to save lives.

Download 10 years of the program TNI Drugs and Democracy (1998-2008) (PDF)

In UNGASS On Drugs offer up the entire process as well as a crucial background information.