Date: 20 February 2015
This report was published by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which is responsible for the supervision of the international drug control treaties. This report is in response to a message by the Government of China in support of the addition to ketamine to the class of Schedule 1 drugs per the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
Since the 1971 Convention stipulates that the World Health Organization (WHO) must approve any addition to the Schedule, the Commission discussed the potential ramifications of a negative recommendation by the WHO. The report finishes with the Commission's conclusion that while the WHO determines the medical and scientific ramifications of adding drugs to the Schedule, their recommendations are not determinative, and thus the Commission can schedule a substance under the Convention even if the WHO recommends otherwise.
Citation: 'Implementation of the international drug control treaties: changes in the scope of control of substances', Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2015) E/CN.7/2015/14
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