Good afternoon,
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
Dr. Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Mr. Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (TBC)
Dr. Mansour Zafer Al-Qahtani, President of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products
Representatives of the States Parties to the Framework Convention and the Protocol
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Invitados todos
Señoras y Señores
Buenas tardes a todos. Me acojo a los saludos protocolares.
Good afternoon to all. I join in the formal greetings.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has undoubtedly charted a course for Panama and the world in the fight for better health, greater well-being, and quality of life—a struggle forged with the participation of many institutional actors, but above all with the collective effort of global society to save lives through the prevention and control of the harms caused by tobacco products and their toxic emissions.
As the first global public health treaty, it is a binding instrument that overwhelms us with its lessons and is, without a doubt, one of the greatest achievements of the World Health Organization in its 75 years of existence.
Around 22 years ago, the Member States made a historic decision: to confront, with determination and great strength, the deadly impact caused by tobacco products on both consumers and those exposed to their toxic smoke. We took an unprecedented step by initiating negotiations for the Framework Convention, supported by the leadership of Dr. Brundtland, then Director-General of the WHO, and by the diplomatic experience and expertise of the Chair of the Negotiating Body, Celso Amorim, Brazil’s Ambassador to the Permanent Mission in Geneva, who provided excellent leadership of the negotiating process. I must also acknowledge the fundamental role of non-governmental organizations, for without their work—and their symbolic orchids and dirty ashtray—it would have been nearly impossible to achieve this.
I must recognize that I had the privilege of participating in all six sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body and in the entire process up to its ratification and entry into force—an invaluable personal and professional learning experience.
The negotiating process and the path to ratification and entry into force of the Convention were complex and filled with difficulties, where commercial pressures and interference from the tobacco industry were persistent and fierce—so much so that at times it seemed we would not see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Today, I can say that reality turned out differently, and despite many disagreements and conflicts, the common interest of public health prevailed—but beyond that, the right to health and to life—because tobacco products sicken, disable, and kill both their consumers and those exposed to their toxic smoke.
From a historical perspective, what many said—that this was just a WHO treaty and its first experience in negotiating multilateral treaties—actually became a human rights treaty, because it focuses on health and life, fundamental rights widely recognized within the United Nations and in the Constitutions of its States Parties, and which in the case of Panama has been recognized in rulings of the Supreme Court of Justice.
I do not want my words to be understood merely as a victory—although it certainly is a great victory—but the reality today is that globally, regionally, and locally, the tobacco industry is reorganizing, maintaining and renewing its strategies to interfere in Parties’ decisions. Every day, and at every Conference of the Parties, it makes its presence felt, defending its “legal” products to perpetuate addiction and make the poorest even more vulnerable.
The States Parties to the Framework Convention, responsibly and with leadership, are moving forward step by step toward the difficult task of full implementation—not only of the Framework Convention but also of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products—guided by its guidelines, facing challenges arising from our own realities, with differentiated efforts in each of our countries, but always focused on the need to protect the public health of our populations.
Noncommunicable diseases, to name just one group, do not allow us to pause. More than ever, it is necessary to refocus our strategies and actions to achieve one of our goals: “a 30% reduction in the prevalence of tobacco product use.”
At the same time, new challenges emerge: novel tobacco products, which from the industry’s perspective are nearly harmless, but which in reality contain nicotine and are addictive—particularly for our youth, their main users. Moreover, there is already independent scientific evidence that they harm health, and some deaths have been attributed to them.
Since the ratification of the FCTC, we have accumulated experiences that required close collaboration with leaders from other regions, sharing and learning from one another. In fact, we also had to face the reality of COVID-19 and its impact on tobacco control management. These experiences have been accompanied by the support of the Convention Secretariat, whose efforts and commitment have been invaluable.
In Panama, under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, we organized to build institutional and interinstitutional alliances through commissions and councils, which made possible the implementation of plans, strategies, and collective interventions in support of the FCTC. Today, we can say that the prevalence of current tobacco product use among people aged 15 and older is 5%.
I take this occasion to congratulate all States Parties on this anniversary and to reiterate Panama’s gratitude for having been allowed to be not only the host country of COP 10 and MOP 3, but also the meeting point for reunion after 5 years of virtuality. Likewise, I thank the Parties of the Region of the Americas for placing their trust in Panama to represent them on the Bureau of the COP for several years.
The 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control leads me to reflect on how to continue addressing pending and delayed issues in its implementation—such as regulating contents; sustainably increasing tobacco taxes so they translate into higher prices and thus into a health protection measure; the challenges posed by social media, cinema, and streaming platforms in terms of advertising and promotion; the need to globalize the use of plain packaging; strengthening universal access and coverage to smoking cessation services; and particularly renewing strategies for surveillance and enforcement of implemented measures. As I said earlier, the victory of ratification is accompanied by many challenges for its full implementation—without inequalities, closing gaps in the pursuit of health equity. Together, we can achieve it.
Finally, I reiterate:
“The WHO FCTC represents one of the greatest achievements in the history of global public health. I have witnessed its impact since its creation and today, as President of its COP, I continue to see how this treaty provides countries with the necessary tools to protect their populations from the devastating tobacco epidemic. We celebrate 20 years of progress, commitment, and lives saved thanks to the Framework Convention. Happy anniversary to the Framework Convention! Cheers, to many more years of productive and successful life.”