Beginning with the 1909 Shanghai Opium Conference and the League of Nations' efforts in the 1920's and 1930's, the authors examine several approaches in historical context from 1900 through 1984. These include the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1972 Amending Protocol to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotics. These initial, fairly successful multinational efforts were the precursors to modern control attempts led by the United Nations. United Nations drug- control efforts from 1984 through 1994 have centered in four international organizations and agencies: the United Nations Division of Narcotic Drugs, the International Narcotics Control Board, the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, and the World Health Organization. A number of significant events have influenced international cooperation in drug control. They are the 1987 International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Traffic, the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the 1990 Special Session of the General Assembly, and the United Nations General Assembly's 1993 reaffirmation of the 1990 Global Program of Action and a resolution that emphasizes the necessity for international cooperation in the fight against drug production and trafficking. The concluding section of the paper lists MacDonald's and Zagaris' (1992:7-10) 10 recent developments that will significantly affect the international drug trade and the various efforts at control. These developments are most problematic for national and international drug policy and control efforts. A 33-item bibliography