Precursor Chemicals

Controlling Precursor Chemicals

International Controls of Methamphetamine Precursor Chemicals

Note: Learn more about the United States controls of Methamphetamine Precursor Chemicals here.

Global efforts to prevent the diversion of methamphetamine precursors have made significant progress. This is a complex effort, requiring cooperation of the countries that produce these precursor chemicals – principally India, China, and Germany – as well as chemical companies around the world, government regulating and law enforcement agencies and multilateral organizations. Two international entities have played a crucial role in this effort: the United Nations (U.N.) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). The CND is the central policy-making body within the U.N. system dealing with drug-related matters. The INCB is a quasi-judicial independent body that monitors the implementation of the three U.N. international drug control conventions.

Building on the passage of a United States-sponsored 2006 CND resolution that requested governments to provide an annual estimate of licit precursor requirements and to track the export and import of such precursors, the United Statescontinues to work with the INCB and other international allies to urge countries to take steps towards implementation of all aspects of this resolution. This includes requests within the resolution for countries to permit the INCB to share such information with concerned law enforcement and regulatory agencies worldwide. The INCB Secretariat’s program to monitor licit shipments of precursor chemicals through its Pre-Export Notification (PEN) online system has been enhanced by the availability of these national licit estimates. The data serves as a baseline for authorities in importing and exporting countries, facilitating verification of the chemicals and the quantities proposed in commercial transactions. Authorities can then determine whether importation is warranted – or, if no legitimate commercial use is apparent, whether pending shipments require additional law enforcement scrutiny. Armed with this information, the INCB can work with the relevant countries to block shipments of chemicals before they are diverted to methamphetamine production.

The international community has taken a number of significant steps in 2010 and 2011 to stop traffickers from getting supplies of precursors to produce methamphetamine. Specifically, through the recommendations of the United Nations, Members of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted in favor of the tightening controls on phenylacetic acid, a methamphetamine precursor. A number of countries also changed their legislation and increased efforts to monitor imports and exports of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine-non-controlled precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine. These changes are yielding impressive results, as demonstrated by Mexico’s July 2011 seizure of over 840 metric tons of precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine.

For more information on the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, list of precursor chemicals frequently used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and the International Narcotics Control Board, find out in this legal Encyclopedia.