The Protocol Amending the Agreements, Conventions and Protocols on Narcotic Drugs concluded at The Hague on 23 January 1912, at Geneva on 11 February 1925 and 19 February 1925, and 13 July 1931, at Bangkok on 27 November 1931 and at Geneva on 26 June 1936 was a treaty, signed on 11 December 1946 at

Lake Success Lake Success can refer to: *Lake Success (California), lake in California *Lake Success, New York, village in New York *''Lake Success'', a novel by American author Gary Shteyngart Gary Shteyngart (; born July 5, 1972) is a Soviet-born American ...

, that shifted the drug control functions previously assigned to the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide Intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by ...

to the United Nations. As the Protocol's official title says, it modifies the provisions of the: *1912 and 1925

International Opium Convention The expression International Opium Convention refers either to the first International Opium Convention signed at The Hague in 1912, or to the second International Opium Convention signed at Geneva in 1925. First International Opium Convention ...

s, *1931

Convention for Limiting the Manufacture and Regulating the Distribution of Narcotic Drugs The Convention for Limiting the Manufacture and Regulating the Distribution of Narcotic Drugs was a drug control treaty promulgated in Geneva on 13 July 1931 that entered into force on 9 July 1933. History The conference was held in Geneva on ...

, and the *1936

Convention for the Suppression of the Illicit Traffic in Dangerous Drugs The Convention for the Suppression of the Illicit Traffic in Dangerous Drugs was a drug control treaty signed in 1936. Harry Anslinger - representing the United States - attempted to add provisions to criminalisation, criminalize all activities. ...

. Under this Protocol, the

Commission on Narcotic Drugs The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is one of the functional commissions of the United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and is the central drug policy-making body within the United Nations System. The CND also has important mand ...

, appointed by the

UN Economic and Social Council The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...

, took over drug policy making from the League of Nations' Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs. In an important precedent, the Supervisory Body that was created to administer the estimate system (which required nations to keep within their predetermined estimates of necessary narcotics production, imports, exports, etc.) was appointed by: *The

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

(two members) *The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (one member) *The Permanent Central Board (one member). The Supervisory Body's successor, the

International Narcotics Control Board The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is an independent treaty body, one of the four treaty-mandated bodies under international drug control law (alongside the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, UNODC on behalf of the Secretary-General, ...

, also had 3 of its 13 members nominated by the World Health Organization, with the rest nominated by UN members, with nominations subject to approval by the

. No doubt in both cases, lobbying by the pharmaceutical industries influenced the inclusion of a requirement to place some scientific and medical experts on the board. However, the influence of Harry J. Anslinger and his Canadian counterpart

Charles Henry Ludovic Sharman Charles Henry Ludovic Sharman (1881 – May 15, 1970) was an English-born Canadian civil servant. He served as Chief of the Narcotics Division in the Department of Pensions and National Health. Along with American Harry J. Anslinger, Sharma ...

, both narcotics control officials, could be seen in the decision to allow the Commission to select some members (thus allowing law enforcement officials to be appointed to the Supervisory Body). In accordance with the provisions of the drug control treaties, the revisions instituted by the Protocol did not require ratification to enter into force. For each party, the treaty entered into force immediately upon their (a) signature without reservation as to approval, (b) signature subject to approval followed by acceptance or (c) acceptance. Since there were far fewer independent nations in the 1940s than there are today, the Protocol's initial 40 parties – including populous

empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

s and unions such as the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

– encompassed the vast majority of the world's population. As of 2013, the Protocol has 62 state parties; of the ratifying states, the Netherlands has denounced the treaty. The Protocol was superseded by the

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (Single Convention, 1961 Convention, or C61) is an Treaty, international treaty that controls activities (cultivation, production, supply, trade, transport) of specific narcotic drugs and lays down ...

, except as it affected the 1936

. However, the Protocol's influence can be plainly seen in the power structure established by the Single Convention, which remains in force.

References

Cannabis: Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy
Report of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, Sep. 2002.

Text of the treaty. *

External links