GENEVA - June 25 - As a weeklong meeting on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) comes to a close, NGOs are warning that delays in implementation will threaten people’s lives around the world. There is great momentum behind the global tobacco treaty: as of today, 21 countries have ratified the FCTC, which enters into force after 40 countries ratify it. With next Tuesday, 29 June the deadline for signature, 10 countries have signed the treaty this week, bringing the total number of signatures to 143. However, major procedural and institutional issues—such as funding and measures to insulate the treaty from outside influences—remain unresolved.

The US-based corporate accountability organization Infact and other members of the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) are campaigning for FCTC ratification in every region of the world. Infact and NATT believe it is likely that 40 countries will ratify the treaty by the end of 2004, and are calling for the first Conference of the Parties to happen as soon as possible after the treaty enters into force. Many countries and NGOs are concerned that proposed next steps from this meeting, including approval of recommendations by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2005, could slow down and confuse the implementation process.

“With nearly five million deaths each year from tobacco-related illnesses, any delay in implementation of the FCTC means more lives will be lost. We applaud WHO for initiating and driving the first global health treaty. Now resources must be dedicated to implementing the FCTC, and decisionmaking power must rest with countries that have ratified the treaty and a Conference of the Parties composed of those countries,” says Infact Executive Director Kathryn Mulvey.

Countries expressed a range of views on issues such as the autonomy of the treaty’s Secretariat and how to ensure full funding of FCTC implementation. While there is broad agreement that the Secretariat should make use of WHO’s expertise, some regional groups stressed the importance of safeguards against outside influences such as the tobacco industry and non-parties. There is a strong push for a Secretariat that has the autonomy to advance the objectives of the FCTC without interference from WHO member states that are not parties to the FCTC.

“Adequate funding, strong financial mechanisms and the autonomy of the Secretariat are issues at the heart of the FCTC. Decisions in these areas will help determine whether the first global health treaty will reach its full potential. With so much at stake, we applaud the countries that are taking the lead on these issues and urge continued vigilance to the powerful forces working to undermine the FCTC,” says Dorcas Wangechi of the Consumer Information Network (Kenya), a NATT member, who is attending the meeting.

Another major topic at this week’s meeting was the participation of civil society in and the exclusion of the tobacco industry from FCTC implementation. Countries agree on the importance of ongoing NGO involvement in tobacco control policies at the national and international levels, and there is an emerging consensus that strong measures must be taken to ensure that the tobacco corporations, their subsidiaries and affiliates do not interfere with the treaty’s implementation. Global tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) have sought to water down and delay the FCTC from the beginning of the process—and the treaty’s Preamble recognizes the need to be alert to tobacco industry attempts to undermine and subvert tobacco control.

“All countries benefit when the cycle of dependence on tobacco is broken. With strong implementation, the FCTC will save millions of lives every year. We are taking on one of the world’s most powerful and deadly industries with this treaty. Governments, WHO and NGOs must work together to safeguard the FCTC from Big Tobacco and its allies,” says Thami Bolani, Chairperson of the National Consumer Forum of South Africa, also attending the meeting as a NATT representative.

The FCTC bans tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship and protects public health policy from tobacco industry interference. The treaty sets precedents for international regulation of other industries that threaten health, the environment and human rights.

The 21 countries that have ratified the FCTC are: Norway, Malta, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, New Zealand, Mongolia, India, Palau, Hungary, Myanmar, Slovakia, Singapore, the Cook Islands, Mauritius, Maldives, Mexico, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Iceland, and Bangladesh. Across the globe, public interest organizations are urging their governments to be among the first 40 to ratify. A number of ratifications are expected over the next few weeks.

###