Over the course of three days, INCB Learning will provide specialized training on treaty requirements regarding the regulatory control and monitoring of licit trade in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals
VIENNA, Austria, September 10, 2018/ -- The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) opened a regional training seminar today in Dakar, Senegal. Organized through the Board’s INCB Learning project, the seminar brings together 30 drug control officials from eleven Francophone African countries, and aims to strengthen their compliance with the international drug control treaties. Officials from the national drug control authorities of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo, are participating in the training seminar.

Over the course of three days, INCB Learning will provide specialized training on treaty requirements regarding the regulatory control and monitoring of licit trade in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. Participants will also be introduced to the INCB online tools: the International Import Export Authorisation System (I2ES), the Pre-export Notification (PEN) Online System, the Precursor Incident Communication System (PICS) and the Project Ion Incident Communication System (IONICS). The training is co-organized with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for West and Central Africa.

The goal of the training seminar is to improve the monitoring and reporting capacities of participating national authorities, and to ensure that controlled substances are adequately available for medical purposes while at the same time preventing diversion into illicit channels, abuse or trafficking.

While some progress has been made, Africa continues to be among the regions of the world with low levels of access to opioids for pain relief and of psychotropic substances for the treatment of mental health and neurological conditions. The importance of adequate access to and availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes will be discussed in a dedicated segment of the training, with inputs provided by representatives of UNODC, the World Health Organization, the African Palliative Care Association and the Government of Senegal.

Launched in 2016, INCB Learning is one of the Board’s initiatives to assist Member States in implementing the provisions of the three drug control conventions, as well as the recommendations of the UNGASS 2016 outcome document and the INCB Availability Report (2016). The initiative addresses barriers to adequate availability of controlled substances, especially lack of training and awareness. Past activities include regional training seminars for authorities from countries in East Africa, South and East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Oceania and Central America.

Another component of the INCB Learning project is the development of e-learning tools for use by Member States. INCB Learning has benefited from contributions by the Governments of Australia, Belgium, France and the United States, and further support from Member States is required to sustain and expand project activities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Information Service Vienna (UNIS).

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United Nations Information Service Vienna (UNIS)