More than 1400 delegates across government, international organisations and civil society gathered in Geneva last week to discuss accelerated action on tobacco control at the Eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The theme for this year’s COP11 was “20 years of change – uniting generations for a tobacco-free future”, and touched on a wide variety of topics including regulation of contents and disclosure of tobacco products, forward-looking tobacco control measures and how to implement measures to prevent and reduce tobacco consumption, exposure to tobacco smoke and nicotine addiction.
What is the FCTC?
The FCTC is the first international treaty negotiated under the authority of the WHO and the first global health treaty. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2003 and entered into force in February 2005. To date, it’s been signed by 183 Parties, covering 90% of the world’s population.
The FCTC provides a regulatory framework addressing both the addictive nature of tobacco products, and the importance of reducing demand alongside tackling supply. It’s core provisions cover:
- Measures relating to the reduction of demand for tobacco
- Measures relating to the reduction of supply of tobacco
In particular, there were two key agenda items from COP11 that we paid close attention to.
Agenda item 4.1 – Forward-looking tobacco control measures
Agenda item 4.1 relates specifically to forward-looking tobacco control measures (FLMs). A number of FLMs have been detailed by the Expert Group alongside some key considerations to enable short listing of FLMs. The Expert Group’s mandate is to identify and describe forward-looking tobacco control measures and measures that expand or intensify approaches to tobacco control as they apply to tobacco products.
From our perspective, we urge the Parties to ensure that regulation reflects scientific evidence. Not all nicotine products carry equal risk, and non-combustibles are significantly less harmful than cigarettes. Policies need to enable adult smokers to make informed choices that reduce harm, rather than outrightly ban certain nicotine products and limit consumer choice.
Agenda item 4.5 – Implementation of measures to prevent and reduce tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction and exposure
Agenda item 4.5 specifically relates to the implementation of a number of measures to prevent and reduce tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction and exposure to tobacco smoke. To date, the COP has not specifically considered implementation of any measures relating to nicotine addiction.
At AsHRA, we support protecting youth from nicotine addiction, while ensuring that adult smokers have access to safer alternatives.
We view THR as complementary to traditional tobacco control measures under the FCTC, not in contradiction to them. Proportionate, evidence-driven approaches can strengthen existing efforts, reduce smoking-related harm, and encourage constructive engagement from all parties.
We therefore encourage the Parties to consider measures that are grounded firmly in scientific evidence.
