The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was established by Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 9(I) in 1946, to assist the ECOSOC in supervising the application of the international drug control treaties. In 1991, the General Assembly (GA) expanded the mandate of the CND to enable it to function as the governing body of the UNODC. ECOSOC resolution 1999/30 requested the CND to structure its agenda with two distinct segments: a normative segment for discharging treaty-based and normative functions; and an operational segment for exercising the role as the governing body of UNODC.
The CND meets annually when it considers and adopts a range of decisions and resolutions. Intersessional meetings of the CND are regularly convened to provide policy guidance to UNODC. Towards the end of each year, the CND meets at a reconvened session to consider budgetary and administrative matters as the governing body of the United Nations drug programme.
At the ministerial segment of its 62nd session in 2019, the Commission adopted the 2019 Ministerial Declaration on strengthening actions at the national, regional and international levels to accelerate the implementation of joint commitments made to jointly address and counter the world drug problem. In the Declaration, Member States resolved to review in the Commission in 2029 the progress made in implementing the policy commitments, with a mid-term review in 2024. The Commission works on the follow-up to the 2019 Ministerial Declaration, with a view to accelerating the implementation of all international drug policy commitments.
The CND reviews and analyzes the global drug situation, considering supply and demand reduction. It takes action through resolutions and decisions.
The CND has 53 member States that are elected by ECOSOC and is chaired by a Bureau, including one member per Regional Group.
The CND adopted the 2019 Ministerial Declaration to accelerate the implementation of joint commitments to address and counter the world drug problem.
The CND is mandated to decide on the scope of control of substances under the three international drug control conventions (1961, 1971 and 1988 Conventions).
The CND has five subsidiary bodies: Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific and Africa, as well as the Subcommission in the Near and Middle East.
The CND Secretariat publishes annually updated publications relating to the international drug control conventions, as well as brochures on recent issues.
As functional Commissions of the Economic and Social Council, the Commissions contribute to the work of the ECOSOC and the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The Commissions actively contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, as sustainable development and the mandates of the Commissions are strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing.
