From February 5th to 10th, representatives from around the world gathered in Panama City to attend the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
Human Rights Decision: Encourages all parties to consider principles and implementation work of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) when engaging with UN human rights mechanisms.
Decision 2.1 on forward-looking measures (ultimate goal of tobacco) establishes an expert group to explore cutting-edge policies beyond the minimum FCTC measures and report back to COP11. This will support progress towards the "smoke-free generation" goal.
Article 18 (environment): Recognizes the extensive harm to the environment caused by the entire tobacco industry lifecycle, from production to use and disposal, including the impact of filters.
Article 19 (accountability): Re-establishes a "responsibility expert group" to assist parties in understanding how to take legal action against the tobacco industry using civil and criminal laws. Panama Declaration: Emphasizes the above decisions and reaffirms parties' commitment to prioritizing the protection of the right to public health.
The World Health Organization warned last year that many countries facing food security issues are also large tobacco-producing economies. Approximately 8 million people die each year globally due to smoking.
The conference decided to strengthen clauses within the framework that focus on protecting the environment and the health of all individuals. Another important decision was to enhance regulation and standards regarding cross-border tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, as well as the depiction of tobacco in entertainment media.
For more information:
https://fctc.who.int/who-fctc/governance/conference-of-the-parties/tenth-session-of-the-conference-of-the-parties
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