Introduction

The critique of the international drug control system is often based upon a purported failure of the system to universally reduce drug demand and supply. International law contains many utopian goals, such as the 'ideal of free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want' announced in the preamble of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In 2009, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the Economic and Social Council – the primary organ of the United Nations on drug control – carried out an extensive review of the progress made since 1998 on the occasion of a High Level Segment. The critique of the international drug control system is often based upon a purported failure of the system to universally reduce drug demand and supply. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.