COP11 to Convene in Geneva in November; South Korea May Leverage Global Consensus to Advance Tobacco-Control Reforms

Key Points

• Dates and role: COP11 will take place Nov. 7–22, 2025, in Geneva. The FCTC COP is the authoritative forum where more than 180 Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control discuss global tobacco-control rules.
• Focus topics: Regulation of testing and disclosure of tobacco constituents (Articles 9 and 10), environment (Article 18), and industry liability (Article 19).
• Domestic progress: South Korea’s Tobacco Harmfulness Management Act will take effect on Nov. 1, with scientific assessments planned for all tobacco product categories.
• Historical milestone: COP5 was held in Seoul in 2012, where the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was adopted by consensus.
• Recent outcomes: At COP10 in 2024, the Korean delegation reported that the adult smoking rate fell to 17.7% in 2022.
• What’s next: Amendments to the Tobacco Business Act—including whether to regulate synthetic nicotine as “tobacco”—have stalled. Consensus reached at COP11 is seen as a potential external driver for domestic policy and tax adjustments.

2Firsts, September 5, 2025 — According to news.nate, the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from Nov. 7 to 22, 2025. As the mechanism through which more than 180 FCTC Parties negotiate global tobacco-control policies and international standards, the FCTC COP is regarded as a key decision-making platform in tobacco policy.

The conference is expected to prioritize regulation of testing and public disclosure of tobacco constituents (Articles 9 and 10 of the Convention), environmental issues linked to tobacco (Article 18), and industry liability (Article 19). Government delegations will report on implementation of the Convention and discuss concrete policy directions such as new regulatory measures, tax frameworks, and environmental responses.

In South Korea, the Tobacco Harmfulness Management Act will formally take effect on Nov. 1, with scientific assessments to be conducted across all tobacco product categories. Aligning domestic systems with international standards has been identified as a near-term implementation priority. Korea has long participated in the FCTC process: COP5 was held in Seoul in 2012—the first in East Asia—where the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was adopted unanimously. At COP10 in Panama in 2024, the Korean delegation reported that, through legislation and sustained anti-smoking campaigns, the adult smoking rate fell to a record low of 17.7% in 2022.

Against the backdrop of slow-moving National Assembly deliberations on amendments to the Tobacco Business Act—such as whether to classify synthetic nicotine under tobacco regulation—experts expect that any international consensus emerging from COP11 could provide a basis for domestic adjustments to taxation and regulation, thereby directly shaping Korea’s tobacco-control framework. The government is currently forming its delegation to COP11.