At its 51st session in March 2008, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs adopted its first ever human rights resolution. While the resolution is very weak, its adoption was a ground-breaking event as in previous years human rights had been all but off limits at the Commission. The discomfort of many Commission delegations is evident in the lack of human rights commitment in the resolution, with the Universal Declaration merely being borne in mind.
CND Res 51/12 "Strengthening cooperation between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other United Nations bodies for the promotion of human rights in the implementation of the international drug control treaties"
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Bearing in mind the basic international drug control instruments, in particular the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 and also bearing in mind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Bearing in mind also that in the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session, the Assembly recognized that action against the world drug problem is a common and shared responsibility requiring an integrated and balanced approach in full conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, and particularly with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, non-intervention in the internal affairs of States and all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Bearing in mind further that, in accordance with article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in that Declaration can be fully realized,
Bearing in mind further that Articles 1, 55 and 56 of the Charter of the United Nations provide that the Organization shall promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion,
Bearing in mind further the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 60/178 of 16 December 2005 and 61/183 of 20 December 2006,
1. Reaffirms that countering the world drug problem is a common and shared responsibility that must be addressed in a multilateral setting, that it requires an integrated and balanced approach and that it must be carried out in full conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other provisions of international law and, in particular, with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States and all human rights and fundamental freedoms and on the basis of the principles of equal rights and mutual respect;
2. Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to continue, within its existing mandate, to work closely with the competent United Nations entities, including the United Nations human rights agencies;
3. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to report to the Commission at its fifty-third session on the implementation of the present resolution.
Citation: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 'UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs adopts first ever human rights resolution' (CND Res 51/12) 2008
Download the report of the 51st session of the CND (PDF, 709 KB) Open in new tab