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The Convention Secretariat has released the first group of documents, including the provisional agendas and the instructions to register for the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Second Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products
In view of the COVID-19 global pandemic and its impact on the conduct of global conferences and travel, it has not been feasible to organize a face-to-face sessions in The Hague, Netherlands, as initially planned for the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the Second Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP2) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. Therefore, both meetings will take place virtually, with COP9 running from 8 to 13 November 2021 and MOP2 from 15 to 18 November 2021.
Three months prior to the sessions, official COP9 and MOP2 documentation has begun to be released and made available on the WHO FCTC website. In light of the virtual format of the meetings, Parties will consider abridged agendas.
Among other important topics and as part of the Convention Secretariat’s fundraising strategies for support of the implementation of the WHO FCTC and the Protocol, a proposal for the establishment and operation of respective Investment Funds will be considered by COP9 and the MOP2. In addition, the proposed Workplan and Budget for 2022–2023 will be discussed by both governing bodies.
Various technical issues and reports by World Health Organization and the Convention Secretariat, which serves as secretariat to both the WHO FCTC and the Protocol, will be presented at COP9, with several issues deferred for discussion, due to the virtual nature of the meetings, until the next regular meeting of the governing body (COP10).
For the Protocol, the reports of the Working Group on Tracking and Tracing Systems, including the global information-sharing focal point and unique identification markings for cigarette packets and packages, as well as the Working Group on Assistance and Cooperation, will be discussed in order to support Parties with implementation of the Protocol’s time-bound measures. Both reports describe the work conducted by the respective working group and contain a draft decisions to be considered by MOP2.
For further information, please refer to the complete provisional agendas of COP9 and MOP2 on the respective dedicated pages on WHO FCTC website.
Meanwhile, registration is open for the WHO FCTC and Protocol sessions, and instructions for the registration have been communicated to the Parties, States that are not Parties, and international intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations accredited as observers to the governing bodies.
Online accreditation for journalists and media organizations wishing to be accredited for COP9 and MOP2 is now open. Visit here for more information the COP9 and the MOP2 pages.
Journalists are required to obtain the official accreditation in order to virtually attend the sessions.
Note to Editor:
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control explained
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO). It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 21 May 2003 and entered into force on 27 February 2005. It has since become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in United Nations history, with 182 Parties. The WHO FCTC was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health. The Convention represents a milestone for the promotion of public health and provides new legal dimensions for international health cooperation.
The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products explained
The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is the first protocol to the WHO FCTC, and a new international treaty in its own right. The Protocol builds upon and complements Article 15 of the WHO FCTC, which addresses means of countering illicit trade in tobacco products, a key aspect of a comprehensive tobacco control policy. It was adopted by consensus on 12 November 2012 at the Fifth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC (Seoul, Republic of Korea, 12–17 November 2012) and entered into force on 25 September 2018. It currently includes 63 Parties. The Protocol was developed in response to the growing concern regarding illicit trade in tobacco products, which poses a serious threat to public health. Illicit trade increases the accessibility and affordability of tobacco products, thus fuelling the tobacco epidemic and undermining tobacco control policies. It also causes substantial losses in government revenues, and at the same time contributes to the funding of transnational criminal activities.