Good afternoon and thank you.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Belgium, His Excellency Mr Frank Vandenbroucke,
Minister of Public Health of Uruguay, Her Excellency Dr Cristina Lustemberg,
Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus,
President of the Conference of the Parties, Dr Reina Roa,
Emeritus Head of the Convention Secretariat, Dr Haik Nikogosian,
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to Geneva for the Eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties.
This COP marks 20 years since the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control entered into force – a moment to reflect on what global cooperation has achieved, and the challenges that lie ahead.
With 183 Parties, the Convention now covers more than 90% of the world’s population. It continues to play a pivotal role in curbing the global tobacco epidemic and countering the activities of the tobacco industry through its evidence-based measures.
The latest data from WHO show that tobacco prevalence and the overall number of tobacco users is declining globally.
This is an encouraging development, and reflects the impact of the WHO FCTC measures implemented by many Parties.
Yet tobacco use remains a persistent barrier to public health, causing over 7 million deaths each year globally. The great tragedy is that every one of these deaths is entirely preventable.
The burden extends across society. Tobacco is also a major barrier to sustainable development, given its well-documented economic, social and environmental consequences. This is why the Sustainable Development Goals call for strengthened implementation of the WHO FCTC.
The environmental consequences of tobacco waste, including the trillions of cigarette butts that are discarded each year and are made of plastic, is one of the issues before this COP.
We must also recognize the enormous economic costs of tobacco. While the profits from tobacco and nicotine continue to enrich the industry, the costs of use fall heavily on families, communities and governments.
With the majority of the world’s tobacco users now living in low- and middle-income countries, these burdens will only worsen unless the measures in the WHO FCTC are fully implemented.
Against this backdrop, the theme of this COP – “20 years of change: uniting generations for a tobacco-free future” – is especially relevant.
We welcome the youth participants joining us this week. We will listen carefully to your voices, because the decisions taken at this COP will set the trajectory of the global tobacco epidemic for generations to come.
We must safeguard children from nicotine addiction and the long-term consequences of tobacco and nicotine use. According to WHO, at least 15 million children aged 13–15 years around the world are now using e-cigarettes.
A tobacco-free future requires renewed efforts to protect public health policies from tobacco industry interference.
There is a fundamental conflict between the interests of the tobacco industry and public health, and the industry’s tactics to undermine government action are well known and well documented.
The WHO FCTC’s Article 5.3 applies to the whole of government, not only ministries of health. This is why comprehensive, government-wide policies to stop tobacco industry interference are needed.
I congratulate the governments that have implemented such measures to protect public health and to maximize transparency.
Let me also address tobacco growing – an area where there is a great deal of misinformation. The WHO FCTC does not require farmers to stop growing tobacco; those suggesting otherwise create unnecessary controversy.
Instead, Parties to the Convention shall promote economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers and growers.
Ladies and gentlemen, there are many challenges ahead, but we have never been more prepared to meet them together.
We have implementation guidelines on many Articles agreed by the COP. We have programmes of technical and financial support, such as the FCTC 2030 project.
And we have many partners – including the FCTC Knowledge Hubs – ready to support Parties in their implementation efforts.
Strong implementation also depends on strong partnerships.
I wish to recognize the partnership we have with WHO at country, regional and global levels to bring support to Parties to advance tobacco control. And for the other IGOs we work with closely, including UNDP and UNEP, we appreciate your commitment to advancing the implementation of the WHO FCTC.
I wish to express our deepest thanks to Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada – the Parties that have made Extra-budgetary Contributions since the last COP to support the Convention Secretariat’s work, including for implementation activities with low- and middle-income Parties.
For Parties in arrears, we urge you to make good on your Assessed Contributions, as the Secretariat’s ability to support Parties depends on these vital resources.
Parties frequently tell us that the lack of financial and human resource resources is holding back implementation of the Convention. For Parties facing domestic resource challenges, health taxes offer a powerful option to secure the funds needed to implement the WHO FCTC.
To strengthen tax administration and end revenue losses from illicit tobacco, we encourage all Parties to join and implement the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. The Protocol plays an important role in advancing public health and combating organized crime.
Please let me thank the members of the two expert groups that have worked hard to bring reports to this COP on forward-looking measures and on liability. We are very grateful for your contributions.
I also wish to acknowledge the key role that civil society plays in supporting the WHO FCTC, including through tobacco industry monitoring and reporting.
And finally, I wish to recognize the enormous contributions of Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo to tobacco control and to the WHO FCTC.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you the very best for your work this week, and for a successful COP.
Many thanks.