Out of the 193 sovereign states that are members of the UN, there are 53 members of the CND elected by ECOSOC for four-year terms. The allocation of seats is based on regions: 11 from Africa, 11 from Asia, 10 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 6 from Eastern Europe, and 14 from Western Europe and other States. (The final seat alternates between Asia and the Latin America and the Caribbean regions every four years).

Only the 53 Member States may vote, when called upon, but in practice, all Member States are able to participate in the CND whether or not they are members.

The Officers of the Commission are the Chairperson, First Vice-Chairperson, Second Vice-Chairperson, Third Vice-Chairperson and the Rapporteur (who prepares the meeting report which is submitted to ECOSOC). Collectively the Officers are referred to as the Bureau of CND. At the end of each session, the CND elects its Bureau for the next session. The Bureau plays an active role in the preparation of the regular and the inter- sessional meetings of the Commission.

The Officers are nominated by the regional groups (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and other States, Latin America and the Caribbean) and each region takes it in turn to hold one of the posts. To assist the Chairperson, there is also an Extended Bureau comprising the CND Bureau, the Chairs of the five regional groups, the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, and the representative of the country holding the Presidency of the European Union.

It also reconvenes at the end of the year to appoint the new Bureau and deal with administrative and budgetary issues. Usually the March meeting is far larger than the December one, with representatives attending from relevant national government ministries. The reconvened session includes a joint meeting with the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), as most of the administrative and budgetary issues are common to both Commissions.

These meetings are open to NGO representatives with ECOSOC consultative status.

As part of the effort to implement all international drug policy commitments, following up to the 2019 Ministerial Declaration the CND adopted a multiyear work plan in June 2019. The Commission will hold interactive meetings every September or October in the period up to 2024. The interactive intersessional meetings will aim to address the challenges identified in the „stock taking“ part of the 2019 Ministerial Declaration. Each year certain thematic areas will be addressed in meetings of two to three days, and the language of the topics has been directly taken from the 2019 Ministerial Declaration.

The formal structure

The formal rules for the organisation and functioning of the Commission are the Rules of Procedure for Functional Commissions of the Economic and Social Council. The involvement of NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC is based on Resolution 1996/31 of ECOSOC. To allow the Commission to complete its agenda, the regular March meeting comprises a Plenary session (in the M-Plenary room of the Vienna International Centre) and a parallel Committee of the Whole, or CoW (in Board Room A).

In the Plenary there is debate on implementation of the drug control treaties, demand reduction and supply reduction, and there is discussion on policy directives to the UNODC and on strengthening the drug control mechanism. The CoW holds preliminary discussions on resolutions before they are finalised and transferred to the Plenary. It is an opportunity for participants to discuss technical issues in greater depth. The CND Chairperson normally oversees the Plenary, while the First Vice-Chairperson normally chairs meetings of the CoW.

The work of the CND is divided into two parts:

A Normative Segment where it considers proposals to make changes to the drug control regime under the Conventions, considers the reports from INCB and a number of thematic reports from UNODC, and deals with any emerging drug control issues. Under this segment it also fulfils any other mandates received from the General Assembly or ECOSOC – such as monitoring implementation of the outcome of the 2016 Special Session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem. Under this segment, the CND may hold round tables or other forms of dialogue to explore topics in greater detail. 

An Operative Segment where the CND functions as one of the governing bodies for the UNODC’s work on drugs, providing policy directives and guidance, reviewing ways to improve the working of the drug control machinery and considering administrative and budget issues

Furthermore, the main CND session in March also comprises a number of side events organised by Member States, international organisations and/or NGOs. There is also a range of exhibitions and other side meetings and events throughout the week.

Draft Decisions and Resolutions 

Draft decisions and resolutions are proposals submitted by one or more members of the Commission, or by a Member State representing a regional group, for consideration by the Committee of the Whole before adoption in the Plenary.

Draft decisions are commonly used to recommend adoption by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the report from the current session of CND and the Annual Report of INCB, and to request approval of the draft agenda for the next session of CND.

Draft resolutions are commonly used to draw attention to a specific issue or area of concern and, based on the mandate of CND and UNODC, to call for action to respond to the identified problem by Member States, UNODC or other international organisations. It is not unusual for draft resolutions to call for civil society, including NGOs, to be involved.

Who can put forward resolutions to the CND?

Only UN Member States can put forward resolutions for adoption by the Commission. There is usually considerable negotiation over the wording whilst the Commission is meeting. But please see the next section for advice on how you can contribute to the drafting and negotiation of resolutions.

Draft resolutions will be posted on the CND documents website as soon as possible, so that they can be downloaded in advance. The Friday before the opening of the Commission is reserved for informal consultations between Member States where supporters are sought and problem areas are identified. Further negotiations then take place throughout the meeting. Informal drafting committees are often formed to work on draft resolutions to reduce the time required for detailed discussions in the CoW – but NGO representatives cannot attend these ‘informal’ meetings.

Revised drafts of the resolutions continue to appear during the week and can be obtained from the document distribution counter (outside of the Plenary room on the 1st floor of the M Building).

How are decisions made at the CND? 

Traditionally the Member States attending CND make decisions and adopt resolutions by consensus. In practice no distinction is made between the states which are members and those which are observers. The only exception is for the scheduling of substances under the Conventions, where a vote is sometimes needed.

Although voting is permitted, in practice most CND decisions and resolutions are adopted through consensus – this is often referred to as the “Vienna Spirit”. 

Other working arrangements used by the Commission

Regional Group Meetings

Regional groups of countries usually hold meetings during sessions of the CND in an effort to agree on common positions. These are closed meetings only open to Member State representatives from the relevant region.

Open-ended Working Groups

These are formed to act on particular topics under the guidance of the Extended Bureau and usually based on a resolution of the Commission. These are usually closed meetings designed to produce reports and recommendations for consideration by CND. However some working groups hold Expert Meetings where selected NGOs may be invited to provide input – often via the VNGOC.

Sub-commission on Illicit Drug Traffic and Related Matters in the Near and Middle East

Meets annually to coordinate regional activities directed against illicit drug traffic and to formulate recommendations to the CND. This is a closed meeting for representatives of relevant Member States.

Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies

There are four regionally based meetings – in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe. Their role is to coordinate activities directed against illicit drug traffic within the respective region. These are closed meetings for representatives of the relevant Member States.

It is valuable to know which government departments and ministries are represented on the delegation of your country, and the names and positions of the delegates. To assist with this, a list of participants from last years’ session can be found at on the CND website.

You may request to meet members of the delegation from your country in advance of the meeting of CND. It is important that you have the agenda and draft resolutions downloaded in advance so that you can contribute constructively and offer suggestions for improvement based on your experience. If you are meeting your country’s delegation in advance, you will be more effective if you do so in collaboration with a significant number of NGOs from your country. Meeting with the national delegation before CND will allow you to receive a briefing on the positions being taken, and to provide inputs.

Propose a resolution through a Member State

There is no reason why an NGO cannot work with a Member State to suggest a resolution, but it is important to start discussions with the Member State well in advance of the CND meeting. Resolutions themselves must be submitted one month before the start of the session. It is also worth remembering that draft resolutions often get substantially changed, or even dropped completely, as Members States negotiate positions with each other. NGOs can also advocate to national delegations to add, amend or delete language in draft resolutions.

It is important to remember that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs is a governmental body and not all governments are as open to the involvement of NGOs. Even governments who are supportive of NGO involvement can become frustrated with NGOs if they do not recognise that negotiations require compromise to make any progress, and that broader diplomatic contexts are also important. That said, there are many opportunities for NGOs to work with the Commission and to make a positive contribution to its work.

From Tuesday onwards, the Committee of the Whole (CoW) meets to discuss and negotiate amendments to the draft resolutions. On some (but not all) draft resolutions, regional groups such as the EU or GRULAC may agree a joint position. National delegations may also receive specific instructions from their government, limiting the room they have for negotiating or agreeing to compromise language. Delegations may also compromise on wording in one resolution to get better wording in another resolution. It is important for NGOs to understand the constraints on delegations and that negotiations take place within a wider diplomatic context than the CND alone.

Nonetheless, NGOs can make a valuable contribution through dialogue with Member States – although our participation in the CoW is strictly as observers and NGOs may not make interventions. NGOs can informally suggest alternative wording to Member States for the draft texts, as well as offering information and experience in support of draft resolutions or of specific amendments. Their knowledge and expertise can assist delegations as they negotiate but will be only one of the factors affecting these discussions.

Provide publications

There is limited space available for document distribution in the UN building, and no exhibition space available for the display of posters and photographs without prior arrangement. The VNGOC has two tables for NGOs attending the CND to display their publications. Please note that publications and publicity materials cannot be distributed to Member States inside the rooms used by the Commission, except for at side events.

Please also follow the Code of Conduct for NGOs when disseminating materials. 

Build relations with national delegations

The Commission meeting may be one of the few occasions when representatives from national governments have the opportunity to meet NGOs – especially those from outside of their country or region. There is an opportunity for NGOs to build relations not only with diplomats working in Vienna, but also with those developing and implementing policy and practice in capitals. Meeting over coffee, lunch or at a side event or reception allows for informal discussion and the chance to provide relevant information and assistance. It can also provide the basis for future collaboration and partnership between NGOs and Member States.

NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC may submit written statements to the Commission. NGOs in general consultative status may submit written statements of up to 2,000 words. NGOs in special consultative status may submit written statements of up to 1,500 words.

A written statement is issued, unedited, in the language(s) as received (English, French or Spanish) from the submitting NGO. NGOs assume full responsibility for the content of their statements, which should fully uphold UN standards and avoid undiplomatic, accusatory and/or abusive language. The deadline for written statements is normally two weeks prior to the session and all statements need to be submitted to the Secretariat of the Governing Bodies (unodc-sgb[@]un.org). 

Checklist for written statements:

Make an oral statement

Representatives from NGOs in general or special consultative status may make an oral statement during the Plenary sessions. NGOs on the Roster may put a request to the Secretariat to make an oral statement.

Prior to the opening of the Commission, NGOs wishing to register on the list of speakers are asked to send the name of the organization, the name (FAMILY NAME, first name) as well as the function of their speaker as well as the item under which they wish to speak. This information should be sent to the Secretariat to the Governing Bodies at unodc-sgb[@]un.org.

During the meeting itself, speakers need to register on the speaker’s list in the Plenary room at the conference officer’s desk before the item that they wish to address closes.

A speaking time of maximum three minutes (or 300 words) is allotted to all speakers.

The list of speakers is established on a first- come first-served basis. NGO speakers are called after the list of member state and intergovernmental organisation speakers has been exhausted and there is no guarantee that they will be called because of the time constraints during the session. It is the responsibility of the NGO to follow the speaker’s list and make sure they are available at the right time. A written copy of the statement should be provided in advance so that the translators have the text before them. It is also a good idea to have copies of the statement available so that they can be left on the distribution tables.

Side events are meetings or panel discussions on topics relevant to the work of CND but outside the formal agenda of the Commission. They may be organised by Member States, intergovernmental organisations and/ or NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC. Official side events are held in one of the conference or meeting rooms of the United Nations, and there is also the possibility to hire the restaurant of the Vienna International Centre or rooms in the nearby hotels for unofficial events .

The Secretariat of the UNODC Governing Bodies has produced guidelines for side events. This is intended to avoid time clashes with formal meetings of the CND and to avoid side events overlapping. Facilities for side events will only be available between 8 and 10 am and 1 and 3 pm when the CND is meeting and each year there is a deadline for submitting a side event request. The application period is typically in January. 

Side events being held in conference or meeting rooms are usually listed in the official side event programme, the daily Journal and on the TV monitors in the public areas. Provide your own publicity material and make this available to delegates. Please note that side event promotional material can only be placed on a designated table in front of the Plenary room in the M-building. The material placed there needs to be cleared by the Secretariat of the Commission prior to distribution by submitting it in electronic form to unodc-sgb[@]un.org two weeks before the session.

Tips for successful side events

It is also important to maintain contact and dialogue between the annual sessions of CND. All NGOs, whether or not you were able to attend the Commission, can work with your national and local government to implement the decisions, commitments and resolutions that all Member States adopted by consensus.

What you can do

These are just some ways in which NGOs can contribute to the work of the Commission and demonstrate the value and importance of civil society. What is valuable is that NGOs push for, and contribute to, the development and implementation of policies and programmes which reflect the promises and commitments made by Member States.

You will need to go through the visitor’s entrance at Gate 1 of the Vienna International Centre (VIC) and through a security check to get into the VIC.

Provided you registered for the conference through the INDICO platform you will be able to collect your pass immediately after the security check at Gate 1. The pass office is open from 08:00 to 16:00 and you will need your passport and confirmation email from the CND Secretariat to collect your pass.

You must have a conference pass for the CND to attend the Commission (annual passes will not be sufficient), and you need to wear your pass at all times when in the VIC.

Leaflets, booklets, books and posters for distribution can normally be brought in to the VIC.

If possible, bulky items should be sent in advance and advice on this can be obtained from the Civil Society Unit of UNODC (unodc-ngounit[@]un.org). 

It is also good practice to clear the arrangements for bringing in bulky items with the UN Security and Safety Service (vicsecuritychiefoffice[@]un.org).

The official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Official documents of the meetings will be made available in these official languages. I n the Plenary and the CoW sessions of the Commission, simultaneous translation between the official languages will be provided. However Side Events are not usually interpreted.

There is an NGO lounge reserved by the UNODC Civil Society Unit and the VNGOC, located in room MOE027 on the ground floor of the M Building.

This is equipped with a PC and internet connection. The NGO Lounge is a place where NGOs can work, meet each other or relax. As it is intended as a general space for all NGOs attending CND, it cannot be used for private meetings.

The VIC has open Wi-Fi (“Guest-VIC”) allowing internet access from your laptop or mobile phone. There are also a few computers with internet access, located on the 4th floor of the C-building.

There are a few printers available in the VIC ‘internet corner’ on the 4th floor of the C-building but for any large scale printing you will need to use a print shop in Vienna, e.g. „ Repa NEO“ which is close to the VIC. 

Cafeterias selling coffee, tea, soft drinks and light refreshments (sandwiches, cakes, etc.) are available in the M Building, and on the 4th and 7th floors of the C Building. A cafeteria and restaurant serving hot food is also available, as you approach the F Building. The cafeteria is selfservice and has a wide choice of food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is table service, is more expensive and it is wise to book a table for lunch. The phone number for making a reservation is +43 (01) 260 60 extension 4877.

Conference participants are welcome to use the United Nations Library services and facilities on the fourth floor of the E building (room number E0482). The Library is open from 9:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday.

Banking services are available at the branch of Uni Credit/ Bank Austria, located on the first floor of the C building. Opening hours are from 09:00 to 15:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 09:00 to 17.30 on Thursdays.

Postal services are available at the post office located on the first floor of the C building.

Medical services are available from the clinic operated by the Joint Medical Service, located on the seventh floor of the F building (extension 22224 and, for emergencies, extension 22222). The clinic is open from 08:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16.30 daily, except on Thursdays when it is open from 08:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 15:00. For medical emergency assistance at other times, please contact staff in the Security Duty Room (room F0E21, extension 3903).

Lost & Found – Inquiries for any items that are reported lost within the Vienna International Centre (VIC) premises should be made at the UNSSS Security Operations Centre, Room FOE18 (opposite the VIC Cafeteria). Telephone extensions 3903 or 3904.