The INCB says more than 600 new psychoactive substances were reported around the world last year, a rise of 55 per cent.

The INCB’s annual report provides a comprehensive overview of the drug control situation in various parts of the world.

As a contribution to the 2016 UNGASS, the INCB has published a report on access to controlled medicines, entitled "Availability of International Controlled Drugs: Ensuring Adequate Access for Medical and Scientific Purposes: Indispensable, adequately available and not unduly restricted".

The Board is presenting this report about the availability of internationally controlled drugs to Member States, in the hope that the analysis and recommendations presented may assist them in the development of national policies and control systems that are capable of achieving the goals of the…

This statement from the Board’s President is therefore a positive step which we hope will pave the way towards the endorsement of decriminalisation for people who use drugs, following similar calls from other UN agencies such as UNAIDS, WHO, UNDP, UN Women and others.

INCB President Werner Sipp stated that the Special Session ‘provides a real opportunity to enhance the effectiveness and impact of national and international drug control policy…’ Reviewing the performance of States Parties, he noted the lack in prevention, treatment, harm reduction (‘reduction of…

After a prolonged period of quiet on the INCB website, the Board has released its regular Newsletter detailing recent activities.

The President of the INCB, Mr Werner Sipp, presented the Annual Report of the INCB for 2014 to the ECOSOC Coordination and Management on 22nd July 2015. Mr Sipp told delegates that he regarded the Report as a contribution to the UNGASS debates on the ‘right path’ for drug policies.

It is encouraging to hear that harm reduction measures should be included within a ‘well-balanced’ drug control system, even if the Board still cannot bring itself to articulate the ‘two word phrase’.