Big Tobacco Attempts to Smuggle Loopholes Into Global Tobacco Treaty..

July 2, 2009 - Today, July 1st NGOs (non-government organizations) released an exposé highlighting new tobacco industry tactics to undermine implementation of the global tobacco treaty, formally known as the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

The report comes at the midpoint of an eight-day negotiating meeting (June 28th - July 5th) in Geneva, Switzerland on a protocol to the FCTC on illicit tobacco trade, where tobacco giants such as Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco (JT) have a strong presence. The document, produced by Corporate Accountability International and the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), criticizes FCTC Parties such as Lebanon and the Philippines for collaborating with tobacco corporations and falling short of commitments under the treaty.

FCTC Article 5.3 obligates treaty Parties to “protect [public health] policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law.” Guidelines for the implementation of this measure were adopted at the third Conference of Parties (COP) last November in Durban, South Africa (full text available online). “In November, ratifying countries unanimously adopted rigorous guidelines to protect public health policy against tobacco industry interference,” explains Kathryn Mulvey, International Policy Director for Corporate Accountability International. “Now, Big Tobacco is trying to get governments to ignore their obligations under the treaty and make exceptions to these new rules. We urge the international community to reject the tobacco industry’s attempts to subvert the FCTC and derail the illicit trade protocol.”

We find the text of the entire disclosure is significant.
Big Tobacco Attempts to Smuggle Loopholes Into Global Tobacco Treaty Ratifying countries criticized for collaboration with Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, CONTACT: Corporate Accountability International Bryan Hirsch, +41 76 547 3476
Susan Cavanagh, +41 78 626 4490, 7/1/2009.

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