International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)

Annual Report 2008

Press Kits in PDF

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Presentation (ppt)

Summary report

UNIS Vienna organised a press briefing on 19 February with the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Professor Hamid Ghodse, at Presseclub Concordia in Vienna, Austria. UNIS Vienna Director Maher Nasser moderated the event.

In his introductory remarks at the press conference, UNIS Director Maher Nasser echoed this year's theme of 100 years of international drug control and highlighted that the INCB Report was the most comprehensive global assessment of drug production, trafficking and abuse.

Professor Hamid Ghodse, President of the INCB, described the three Conventions of the international drug control system as a major success. Over 95 per cent of UN Member States are party to the three Conventions -- covering 99 per cent of the world's population. "This is a major success of the UN. When you look at the other 500 UN treaties, hardly any other matches the success of the drug control system," Professor Ghodse said.

The briefing was followed by a question-and-answer session.

26 representatives of local and international media, including the Austria Press Agency, Agence France-Presse, DPA, Associated Press, Reuters, Itar-Tass, EFE, Bloomberg News, Yoimuri Shimbun, Kyodo News, Le Monde, El Pais, Der Standard, Die Presse and Press TV (Iran), as well as more than 20 representatives from Permanent Missions, NGOs and UN agencies attended the launch.