United Nations A/RES/59/160 General Assembly Distr.: General 8 February 2005 Fifty-ninth session Agenda item 97 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2004 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/59/495)] 59/160. Control of cultivation of and trafficking in cannabis The General Assembly, Recalling the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, 1 that Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, 2 the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 3 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988, 4 Recalling also Commission on Narcotic Drugs resolution 45/8 of 15 March 2002 on the control of cannabis in Africa, 5 Concerned that, of all the substances listed in the international drug control treaties, cannabis is by far the most widely and most frequently abused, especially among young people, Concerned also that the abuse of cannabis, especially among young people, often leads to risk-taking behaviour, Concerned further that cultivation of and trafficking in cannabis are on the increase in Africa partly as a result of extreme poverty and the absence of any viable alternative crop and partly because of the profitability of such activity and the high demand for cannabis in other regions of the world, Noting with concern that increased cultivation of cannabis in Africa is extremely dangerous for the ecosystem because it leads to extensive use of fertilizers, overexploitation of the soil and destruction of forests to make room for new cannabis fields, thus accelerating soil erosion, Taking note of the report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2003, 6 in which the Board confirmed that the production of, trafficking in and abuse of cannabis continued to pose a serious problem in various regions of the world, _______________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 520, No. 7515. Ibid., vol. 976, No. 14152. 3 Ibid., vol. 1019, No. 14956. 4 Ibid., vol. 1582, No. 27627. 5 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 8 and corrigenda (E/2002/28 and Corr.1 and 2), chap. I, sect. C. 6 United Nations publication, Sales No. E.04.XI.1. 2 04-48586