The International Opium Convention was signed in The Hague on 23 January 1912. It marked a major turning point in the international regulation of narcotic substances, part of a series of efforts to limit the abuse of drugs such as opium, morphine, cocaine and other derivatives. The convention aimed to establish common rules and standards for the international control of trade and use of these substances.
Signatories of the Convention
Germany: His Excellency Mr. Felix von Müllehr, current Private Advisor, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague.
United States of America: Bishop Charles H. Brent, Mr. Hamilton Wright, Mr. H. A. Finney.
China: His Excellency Mr. Liang Ch'i Ch'ang, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Berlin.
France: Mr. Henri Breme, Inspector-Advisor of the Agricultural and Commercial Services of Indo-China.
United Kingdom: Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, G.C.M.G., Lord of the Privy Council; Sir William Stevenson Meyer, K.C.I.E., Chief Secretary to the Government of Madras; Mr. William Grenfell Max Müller, C.M.G., M.V.O., Counsellor of the Embassy; Sir William Job Collins, M.D., Deputy-Lieutenant of the County of London.
Italie: His Majesty the King of Italy.
Japan: His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.
Netherlands: Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands.
Persia: His Imperial Majesty the Shah of Persia.
Portugal: The President of the Portuguese Republic.
Russia: His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias.
Siam: His Majesty the King of Siam.
Goals
Progressive Abuse Reduction: The Convention aimed to progressively reduce the abuse of opium, morphine, cocaine, and derivative drugs.
International Agreement: It aimed to establish an international agreement on the regulation of these substances, to prevent similar abuses.
Humanitarian Collaboration: The signatories were convinced that this humanitarian effort would be supported by the unanimous support of the nations concerned.
Closing Protocols
First Protocol: Signed on January 23, 1912.
Second Protocol: Signed July 9, 1913.
Third Protocol: Signed on June 25, 1914.
Closing Meeting (June 25, 1914)
The Third International Opium Conference was held from 15 to 25 June 1914 in The Hague. This conference addressed several important issues concerning the implementation and entry into force of the convention.
Important Decisions
Entry into Force:
The Convention was to come into force when the signatory Powers had ratified the agreement.
The deadline for ratification was 31 December 1914.
The signatories could bring the Convention into force even if not all the Powers had yet ratified.
Access to the Convention:
Powers which had not yet signed could still adhere to the Convention.
Ratification Procedure:
A protocol was opened to allow the signatory Powers to express their intention to bring it into force la Convention.
Urgent Procedures:
The Conference invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to take urgent steps with the signatory Powers to speed up the ratification process.
In faith whereof, the delegates have signed the closing protocol at The Hague on 25 June 1914, in a single copy..
Historical Significance
The International Opium Convention of 1912 is a crucial milestone in the fight against drug abuse worldwide. It laid the foundation for subsequent agreements and marked the beginning of stricter international regulation of narcotic substances.
Table of signatures to the Convention, of signatures to the Protocol of Signature of the Powers not represented at the First Opium Conference, referred to in the penultimate paragraph of Article 22 of the Convention, of ratifications of the Convention and of signatures to the Protocol relating to the entry into force of the Convention, referred to under B of the Closing Protocol of the Third Opium Conference.
In accordance with paragraph 1 of its Article 44, the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, as amended by the Protocol amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 of 8 August 1975, repeal and replace, as between the Parties, the provisions of the said Convention. See Chapter VI.18.
[Ratifications and signatures under Article 295 of the Treaty of Versailles or a similar article of another peace treaty are marked with an asterisk (*)
Participant
Signatures of the Convention
Signatures of the Protocol of the Powers not represented at the Opium Conference
Ratifications of the Convention and accessions
Signatures of the Protocol relating to the entry into force of the Convention (dates of entry into force)
Afghanistan
5 mai 1944
Albania
3 feb 1925
3 feb 1925
3 feb 1925
Germany
23 jan 1912
10 jan 1920*
10 jan 1920*
Saudi Arabia
19 feb 1943
Argentina
17 oct 1912
23 apr 1946
Austria
16 jul 1920*
16 jul 1920*
Belgium
18 jun 1912
18 jun 1914
14 mai 1919
Myanmar
Bolivia
4 jun 1913
10 jan 1920*
10 jan 1920*
Brazil
16 oct 1912
23 dec 1914
10 jan 1920*
Bulgaria
2 mar 1914
9 aug 1920*
9 aug 1920*
Chile
2 jul 1913
16 jan 1923
18 mai 1923
China
23 jan 1912
9 feb 1914
11 feb 1915
Colombia
15 jan 1913
26 jun 1924
30 jun 1924
Belgian Congo and mandated territory of Ruanda-Urundi (a)
29 jul 1942
Costa Rica
25 apr 1912
1 aug 1924
29 jul 1925
Cuba
8 mai 1913
8 mar 1920*
8 mar 1920*
Danemark
17 dec 1912
10 jul 1913
21 oct 1921
Egypt
5 jun 1942
Ecuador
2 jul 1912
25 feb 1915
23 aug 1923
Spain
23 oct 1912
25 jan 1919
11 feb 1921
Estonia
9 jan 1923
20 apr 1923
21 jan 1931
USA
23 jan 1912
15 dec 1913
11 feb 1915
Finlandia
24 apr 1922
16 mai 1922
1 dec 1922
France
23 jan 1912
10 jan 1920*
10 jan 1920*
UK
23 jan 1912
15 jul 1914
10 jan 1920*
Greece
30 mar 1920*
30 mar 1920*
Guatemala
17 jun 1912
27 aug 1913
10 jan 1920*
Haïti
21 aug 1912
30 jun 1920*
30 jun 1920*
Honduras
5 jul 1912
29 aug 1913
3 apr 1915
Hongria
26 jul 1921*
26 jul 1921*
Iran
23 jan 1912
Italia
23 jan 1912
28 jun 1914
10 jan 1920*
Japan
23 jan 1912
10 jan 1920*
10 jan 1920*
Lettonia
6 fev 1922
25 mar 1924
18 jan 1932
Liberia
30 jun 1920*
30 jun 1920*
Liechtenstein
Lituania
7 apr 1922
Luxembourg
18 jun 1912
21 aug 1922
21 aug 1922
Mexico
15 mai 1912
2 apr 1925
8 mai 1925
Monaco
1 mai 1923
20 feb 1925
26 mai 1925
Nicaragua
18 jul 1913
10 nov 1914
3 nov 1920
Norway
2 sep 1913
12 nov 1914
20 sep 1915
Panama
19 jun 1912
25 nov 1920*
25 nov 1920*
Paraguay
14 dec 1912
17 mar 1943
Holland
23 jan 1912
28 jul 1914
11 feb 1915
Peru
24 jul 1913
10 jan 1920*
10 jan 1920*
Polska
10 jan 1920*
10 jan 1920*
Portugal
23 jan 1912
15 dec 1913
8 apr 1920*
Dominican Republic
12 nov 1912
7 jun 1923
14 apr 1931
Roumania
27 dec 1913
14 sep 1920*
14 sep 1920*
Russia
23 jan 1912
Salvador
30 jul 1912
19 sep 1922
29 mai 1931
Sweeden
27 august 1913
17 apr 1914
13 jan 1921
Switzerland
29 dec 1913
15 jan 1925
15 jan 1925
Czechoslovakia
10 jan 1920*
10 jan 1920*
Thailand
23 jan 1912
10 jul 1913
10 jan 1920*
Turkey
15 sep 1933
15 sep 1933
15 sep 1933
Uruguay
9 mar 1914
3 apr 1916
10 jan 1920*
Venezuela
10 sep 1912
28 oct 1913
12 jul 1927
Yugoslavia (ex)
10 feb 1920*
10 feb 1920*
Participant
Membership(a), Succession(d)
Bahamas
13 aug 1975 d
Camdodia
3 oct 1951 d
Cameroon
20 nov 1961 d
Cyprus
16 mai 1963 d
Congo
15 oct 1962 d
Ivory Coast
8 dec 1961 d
Ethiopia
28 dec 1948 a
Fiji
1 nov 1971 d
Ghana
3 apr 1958 d
Indonésie
29 mai 1958 a
Israel
12 mai 1952 a
jamaica
26 dec 1963 d
Jordan
12 mai 1958 a
Lesotho
4 nov 1974 d
Liban
24 mai 1954 d
Malaisia
21 aug 1958 d
Malawi
22 jul 1965 d
Malte
3 jan 1966 d
Mauritius
18 jul 1969 d
Niger
25 aug 1961 d
Nigeria
26 jun 1961 d
Papua New Guinea
28 oct 1980 d
Philippines
30 sep 1959 d
Syrian Arab Republic
20 jan 1954 d
Central African Republic
4 sep 1962 d
Congo
31 mai 1962 d
loas
7 oct 1950 d
Czech Republic
30 dec 1993 d
Senegal
2 mai 1963 d
Serbia
31 jul 2002 d
Sierra Leone
13 mar 1962 d
Slovakia
28 mai 1993 d
Sri Lanka
4 dec 1957 d
Trinité-and-Tobago
11 apr 1966 d
Zambia
9 apr 1973 d
I certify that the attached document is a true copy of the English and French texts of the International Opium Convention done at The Hague on 23 January 1912, the original of which is deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations..
Head of the Treaties Section, Office of Legal Affairs Palitha T. B. Kohona United Nations, New York, July 2005
