Dear Mr President, delegates, colleagues
Today is an historic day for tobacco control. We are delighted to celebrate the entering into force of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in tobacco products that has allowed for the convening today of the very First Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.
We congratulate the new Protocol members of Bureau and regional coordinators. We are looking forward to your guidance to the Secretariat as we take the first steps as we work to implement the Protocol.
I would also like to thank all Parties in this room for making this happen. My appreciation to the State non Parties here with us providing a clear message that the Protocol will soon have more Parties hopefully enjoying universal coverage.
Let me also thank the Director-General of the World Health Organization and his staff for their tireless efforts in helping us promote the entry into force of the Protocol.
Finally, I would like to welcome, and convey a very special thank you, to Dr. Haik Nikogosian, Emeritus Head of the Convention Secretariat.
Dr. Nikogosian’s commitment and leadership set us on this course. He spared no effort during the negotiations and I hope that our work will continue to be inspired by his vision. My dear Haik, my appreciation and gratitude.
After 4 years of negotiation, it was in Seoul, Republic of Korea, that the Protocol was adopted by consensus in 2012. Last June, after the 40th ratification the Protocol entered into force on 25 September 2018.
The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, a global solution to a global problem, requires international cooperation.
Article 15 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the mother treaty, already recognized the threat of illicit trade in tobacco products to public health. Illicit trade increases the availability and affordability of tobacco products promoting its use.
The implementation of Protocol obligations requires the involvement of several government agencies that go beyond the health sector and include customs, finance and law enforcement. We are very pleased to see many delegates from various sectors attending MOP1.
However, let us all remember that health is the central motivation for the Protocol’s existence, and colleagues from health sector must remain engaged with the Protocol implementation and in monitoring its end results: a decrease in tobacco consumption. We are looking forward to a very fruitful cooperation in the years to come with colleagues from all sectors.
We are often asked about the size of the illicit trade in tobacco products. This is a very important, but difficult question to answer. With the obligations from the Protocol in hand, we will be better able to assess the total dimension of illicit trade. The estimates that:
- 1 in every 10 cigarettes consumed worldwide come from illicit trade; and
- Illicit tobacco trade reduces governments’ income and/or causes missed revenues by about 31 billion dollars a year
A key barrier in the implementation of the WHO FCTC will also be a key challenge in the implementation of the Protocol: Interference of the tobacco industry.
The tobacco industry misleads governments, using the illicit trade argument to oppose several tobacco control measures: taxation, plain packaging, marketing restrictions, product regulation, among others.
Furthermore, the industry pretends to be part of the solution. It has developed, and promoted, its own tracking and tracing mechanism, that is far less transparent than the tool required by the Protocol.
Additionally, it has created funding and other partnership mechanisms to engage with governments in ways that are in breach of the Convention and the Protocol’s spirit and letter. Please remain alert to protect the Protocol against the tobacco industry interference.
Several Parties will choose to engage with private sector to explore services related to tracking and tracing, tax stamps businesses, and others. While Parties may benefit from these services, Parties must ensure that the Protocol’s goals and principles are guide all discussions.
I wish all of us success as, together, we start on this historic journey.
Thank you.