The relations between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are beset with so many pitfalls and have their roots in such remote history that it will be as well for this article to begin with a fairly precise definition of terms.

As was mentioned in the previous note on the above subject, the (first) Conference of Government Experts held in Geneva in May 1971, although an important step on the road towards the “reaffirmation and development” of certain more or less neglected parts of the international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts, was in itself insufficient preparation for a future diplomatic conference. A second conference of experts seemed therefore to be indicated, and the announcement, made in the final session of the Conference by the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (or ICRC), that such a conference would be organized in 1972, was received with unanimous approval and satisfaction.

Since the end of the Second World War the Governments of several States have taken a series of measures designed to expropriate or nationalize private property of diverse kinds belonging to nationals as well as to foreigners. In Eastern Europe, particularly, entire sectors of the nationalizing States' economies were affected by such measures.

This article attempts to review the international regulations concerning the control of legitimate trade in narcotic drugs. This necessitates an examination of what narcotic drugs are, their social, medical and economic aspects and whether the control exercised is reasonably proportionate to any dangers the various drugs may present. Up to now eleven multilateral agreements on drugs control have been concluded. It is worth examining whether they show some correlation and, if so, what kind.