Distinguished Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,
Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products,
Delegates from Permanent Missions,
Members of civil society,
Colleagues and friends.
I am delighted to welcome you to this webinar marking the official launch of the 2021 Global Progress Report on Implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
Following today’s event, the full Global Progress Report will be available on the website of the Convention Secretariat.
The publication of this Report responds to both Article 32 of the Protocol, which requires Parties to report on their implementation of the treaty, and to a decision by the First Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, which further guided the establishment of a reporting system.
As you know, this is an important milestone as it marks the first time that the Global Progress Report on the implementation of the Protocol is being published.
Like the Global Progress Report for the WHO FCTC, an abridged version of Protocol implementation report already has been posted to the documents package for the Second Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol – or MOP2, as we call it – which takes place later this month.
I would invite all the Parties to both treaties, as well as experts and any interested individuals, to review the full report.
The Global Progress Report is the product of an analysis of information submitted by the Parties before 25 May 2020, during the 2020 reporting cycle.
The 2021 Global Progress Report provides an overview of the status of implementation of the Protocol based on the implementation reports of the Parties.
Taking advantage of the unfortunate delay of MOP2 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Convention Secretariat added additional case studies and more detailed information to enrich the new Global Progress Report.
The report follows the structure of the Protocol and enables Parties to understand and learn from each other’s experience by providing examples of implementation in various areas of the Protocol.
I would like to recognize the instrumental role of the Protocol focal points in the timely gathering of updated information on the status of implementation at national level, which is reflected in the Report.
We are also grateful to other government agencies, as well as to Parties generally, as they provided the necessary data even as they were addressing other urgent pandemic-related demands.
As noted in the Report, two of the most important priorities identified by Parties are implementation of an efficient tracking and tracing system and the need for greater cooperation among Parties.
To achieve these priorities and to meet other challenges, it is important that Parties across different regions and with various levels of development work together.
It is through such collaboration that we are stronger, especially when faced with transnational problems such as those related to illicit trade in tobacco products.
Thank you all for joining us today and thanks in particular to our panellists, who will be sharing their insights.
I look forward to our discussion today and to the engagement of Parties and other stakeholders during the MOP2 sessions from 15 to 18 November 2021.
Thank you!