B
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Governors of Dependent Territories
Telephone 1
253/11
13 FEB 1907
File
Your reference
Our reference
NCD 253/11
Date 1 February 1987
UN CONVENTION ON PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES 1971
1. The United Kingdom ratified the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances in March 1986 and the Convention entered into force in June. Under Article 27 of the Convention, Parties to it are required to extend ratification to non-metropolitan territories for the international relations of which they are responsible. We need therefore to consider how and when the Convention can be extended to British dependent territories. enclose a copy of the Convention.
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2. As you may know, two international conventions regulate world trade in drugs, with the aims of ensuring that only sufficient drugs are available to meet legitimate needs. The first, the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, provides for controls over opium and its derivatives (such as heroin and morphine), synthetic drugs having similar effects (such as methadone) and cocaine and cannabis. The second, the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971 provides for similar controls over wide range of synthetic drugs which act on the central nervous system (hallucinogens, stimulants, sedatives). Parties to the Conventions are required to apply stringent controls over production, manufacture, distribution and availability (both for domestic consumption and for export). They also undertake to cooperate closely with the drugs agencies of the United Nations in ensuring the effective operation of the conventions by, for example, imposing a comprehensive licensing system for licit transactions and by providing regular statistical returns.
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The United Kingdom is a party to the 1961 Convention. signed the 1971 Convention but held back from ratifying for some time because of doubts about its practicability. However we concluded that its controls were of value and, following an announcement in December 1983 by the Home Secretary of the Government's intention to ratify, the necessary subordinate legislation has been introduced. This has consisted of
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Modification) Order 1985; The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1985;
The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) (Amendment) Regulations 1985
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