Our reference: Your reference:
Paulsen Bailey Esq
UN Division of Narcotic Drugs
Vienna International Centre
PO Box 500
A-1400 Vienna
Austria
HOME OFFICE
Queen Anne's Gate LONDON SW1H 9AT
Direct line: 01-2134022
Switchboard: 01-213 3000
3 July 1987
Dear Mr Bailey
DRAFT CONVENTION ON ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING
When I was in Vienna last week for the meeting of the Expert Group to discuss the new draft convention, I mentioned that the UK Government will need to be satisfied that there is adequate provision to reflect the position of Hong Kong and other UK Dependencies. Although the current Expert Group meeting will not be discussing the draft final clause (Annex VII to DND/DCIT/WP1), I noticed the absence of an article corresponding to Article 28 of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971.
Since the draft convention will be dealing with a range of enforcement matters, it will be important that a territory such as Hong Kong should be in a position to implement the provisions of the treaty by itself. This will enable other contracting parties to deal directly with the enforcement authorities of the territory in question rather than having to go through those of the UK. Our provisional view is that it would be worthwhile considering including in the draft convention a formula based on Article 28 of the Psychotropic Convention.
You kindly promised to look into this question and see whether it would be appropriate to add to the draft convention an article based on Article 28. If this is not intended, it would be helpful to learn why such a provision is judged unnecessary. If it would help, we could set out more fully the case for including a provision of this kind.
Yours sincerely
Ja Dwyer
PP N A NAGLER
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