The Kingdom of Morocco was re-elected for a third term as a member of the International Narcotics Control Board during the elections conducted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council on Tuesday.
The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement today that Morocco and India were elected from the first round, where the Moroccan candidacy – represented by the current President of the International Narcotics Control Board, Jalal Toufiq – received thirty votes out of 54 in total, indicating that this electoral success was achieved in a context of unprecedented competition among the 25 countries nominated to win the five seats allocated for candidates proposed by governments.
According to the statement, this represents an achievement, especially since Morocco is not a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, which reflects the great credibility of the multilateral work undertaken by Morocco. The statement pointed out that Morocco’s election to this body of central importance demonstrates the credibility of its contribution to multilateral efforts aimed at addressing global economic, social, and health challenges, especially those related to drug control. Jalal Toufiq, the current President of the International Narcotics Control Board, also holds the position of President of the Moroccan National Center for Prevention, Treatment, and Research in Addiction, Director of the Moroccan National Observatory on Drugs and Addiction, and Director of the Razi Hospital for Psychiatric and Mental Diseases. The International Narcotics Control Board is considered an independent and quasi-judicial body of experts established by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, tasked with monitoring the implementation of United Nations drug-related conventions. It also issues an annual report providing a comprehensive study on the state of drug control worldwide, the implementation of United Nations conventions in this area, and recommends corrective measures in this context. This body consists of 13 members elected by the Economic and Social Council, ten of whom are elected from a list of individuals nominated by governments, while the other three members are elected from a list of individuals nominated by the World Health Organization.
