INCB Watch 116th Session begins in May

The 116th Session of the INCB commenced in Vienna on 17th May. During its first day, it renewed the mandate of Mr Werner Sipp, its President, and elected a new Bureau which will operate for one year.

During the session, which will last until the 27th May, the INCB will review the compliance with the international drug control conventions of over 200 countries.

The INCB’s composition following the elections of the 17th May is:

• Werner Sipp - President of the Board
• Jagjit Pavadia - First Vice-President and Member of the Committee on Finance and Administration
• Viroj Sumyai - Second Vice-President of the Board and Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates
• Sri Suryawati - Rapporteur and Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
• Wei Hao - Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates

Officers elected by the Board:

• Raymond Yans - Chair of the Committee on Finance and Administration
• Bernard Leroy - Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
• Richard P. Mattick - Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
• Ahmed Kamal Eldin Samak - Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
• Francisco E. Thoumi - Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
• Alejandro Mohar Betancourt - Member of the Committee on Finance and Administration
• Jallal Toufiq - Member of the Committee on Finance and Administration

On 19th May, the Board held consultation with the Chair of the CND, Mr. Vladimir Galuska, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations (Vienna). The opportunity was taken to discuss both the 59th CND in March 2016, and the outcomes of the April UNGASS. Both of these event saw the INCB playing a highly active role.

On the following day, 20th May, the INCB held consultations with the WHO representatives, Dr Vladimir Poznyak, Coordinator of the Management of Substance Use team, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and Dr Gilles Forte, Coordinator of the Policy, Access and Use team of the Essential Medicines and Health Products Department.

The INCB and the WHO agreed to strengthen cooperation to improve access to controlled medicines.

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