The definitions listed below are used in this document.

Emergency

Any acute situation (e.g. earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, epidemics, conflicts, displacement of populations) in which the health conditions of a group of individuals are seriously threatened unless immediate and appropriate action is taken, and which demands an extraordinary response and exceptional measures.

Availability of control authorities

Control authorities are considered unavailable when an emergency occurs which results in a disruption of the function of such authorities to issue import authorizations.

When an emergency occurs in areas outside the control of the government, a solution should be found, on a case by case basis, through discussions with the control authorities of the exporting countries and the INCB.

Control authorities

Control authorities mean the competent national authorities designated by their governments in accordance with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 (ref. United Nations publication “Competent national authorities under the international drug control treaties”, available from the United Nations).

Operator

International, governmental and/or nongovernmental organizations engaged in the provision of humanitarian assistance in health matters recognized by the control authorities of exporting countries (e.g. UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO, ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), MSF (Médecins sans Frontières), national aid agencies and bona fide NGOs).

Supplier

Supplier of drugs for humanitarian assistance at the request of operators: a supplier may either be a separate entity or a section or department of an operator.