- Honourable Minister of Finance of Montenegro Mr Novica Vuković
- Honourable Deputy Minister of Health of Panamá Dr Ivette Berrio Aquì
- President of the Bureau of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, Ms Hekali Zhimomi
- UNODC Deputy Regional Representative for Central America and the Caribbean Ms Melissa Flynn
Honourable Ministers and Heads of Delegations,
Esteemed participants:
Good afternoon. Let me reiterate my sincere thanks to everyone who has made possible this event in this wonderful city.
More than five years have passed since the Protocol entered into force, and there is doubt the COVID-19 had a severe impact on the Protocol just at a time when implementation was beginning.
Fortunately, Parties have now started to accelerate implementation of the Protocol and that is why, even under these circumstances, we can see progress.
There are now 68 Parties to the Protocol, and I am honoured to welcome the newest: Paraguay, Poland, the Republic of Moldova and Rwanda.
Let’s please welcome them.
But remembering that the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has 183 Parties, almost three times the number of Parties to the Protocol, we need more Parties to join.
With this in mind, I encourage all countries here today that are not yet Parties to the Protocol to consider joining it.
I want to recall that any cost connected with being a Party to the Protocol is actually an investment.
An investment that will yield enormous benefits not only in terms of health but also financial benefits, given the enormous economic losses entailed by illicit trade.
In addition, Article 8, paragraph 14, of the Protocol, on tracking and tracing, stipulates that Each Party may require the tobacco industry to bear any costs associated with that Party’s obligations under this Article.
Let me also remind you of paragraph 12 of the same Article, which establishes that obligations assigned to a Party shall not be performed by or delegated to the tobacco industry
On progress to date, more Parties have reported that they have implemented or are in the process of implementing at least some of the elements required by the Protocol for the national track and trace system.
In line with the requirements of the Strategy for Mechanisms of Assistance and Mobilization of Financial Resources to Support Implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, the Secretariat has developed and piloted a methodology to assess needs for the implementation of the Protocol.
I especially want to thank the Governments of the Parties that have participated in this process: Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay and Senegal.
I also want to thank our donors, Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, for the generous contributions that have made this work possible.
Another highlight has been the launch of the first phase of the global information sharing focal point, a key component of the global tracking and tracing regime.
After a pilot phase involving Parties in the Tracking and Tracing Working Group, the platform will be made available to all Parties to the Protocol.
This platform will further protect the supply chain and assist in illicit trade investigations, as Parties will be able to consult and receive information from other Parties, thus strengthening international cooperation.
In addition, the Secretariat has developed three other databases to assist Parties in this regard: one on experts, one for mutual administrative assistance and one for mutual legal assistance.
You will soon receive information about the global information sharing focal point and the databases, and we are counting on your quick response to provide us with the information we need to ensure these platforms can rapidly become operational.
I would also like to mention the work we are doing with the United Nations Development Programme to promote the importance of the Protocol for sustainable development, and with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to ensure greater availability of data to inform the decisions and strategies of the Parties.
Together with the World Health Organization, we are in talks with Interpol to strengthen our collaboration, following the good news that Interpol no longer receives funding from the tobacco industry.
So, as I said at the beginning, despite all the challenges, there has been progress.
But …
Yes, that annoying little word again …
Although we note progress in the implementation of track and trace systems, approximately half the Parties to the Protocol have not yet implemented them comprehensively, this being one of the most important measures of the Protocol.
Unfortunately, many other areas of the Protocol show very little significant progress and that is why, at this session, the MOP will seek to advance key issues of the implementation of the Protocol, as a roadmap for conducting evidence-based research, and seek improvements to the reporting tool.
And here I would like to highlight two issues: the improvements in the reporting instrument and financial aspects.
There is far less available data on illicit trade than we would wish for the purpose of informing our strategies, so we need to join forces to help us improve the quantity and quality of data for decision-making.
On financing, I must draw your attention to several points.
Proportionally, more Parties are in arrears in their contributions to the Protocol than are in arreas in their contributions to the Convention.
I am certainly aware of how difficult times have been and the efforts that Parties have made to pay their dues, but payments must be made on time.
To improve the financial situation, we are developing a fund-raising strategy and looking into the possibility of an investment fund.
But none of these initiatives can solve the problem of non-payment of assessed contributions.
I respectfully request that you consider ways to address this issue.
Finally, let me highlight the challenges ahead, which fall mainly under two headings: the need for cross-sectoral work and – surprise, surprise – interference from the tobacco industry.
Intersectoral work is key for the WHO FCTC, but it is even more vital for the Protocol.
While the health sector must remain involved, considering that the ultimate consequences of the illicit tobacco trade affect health outcomes, the Protocol's mandates cannot be developed without the participation and leadership of other sectors beyond health, such as the ministries responsable for finance, customs and law enforcement.
Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of multi-sectoral coordination, and I believe that the lack of it is one of the main obstacles to advancing the implementation of the Protocol.
As to tobacco industry interference, the challenges of the Protocol are not very different from those of the Convention.
You have probably seen that the industry and its front organizations have been here in Panama.
They are a constant danger to public health policymaking and will use any method – any method at all - to derail our work.
The tobacco industry's involvement in the illicit trade in tobacco products has been well documented and a quick online search is enough to provide plenty of evidence.
The industry has been pushing its own version of a track and trace system for some time, hoping to undermine the Protocol.
The Protocol is clear: Parties should collaborate with the tobacco industry on track and trace systems only when strictly necessary to regulate the industry.
And as I mentioned before, under Article 8.12 of the Protocol: “Obligations assigned to a Party shall not be performed by or delegated to the tobacco industry.”
I know that this MOP will move us forward and also plant the seeds for our future work and success.
The Secretariat is here to help you and we are committed to doing everything we can to support all of you in implementing the Protocol.
For now, thank you once again for being here and for the energy I know you will invest in the coming days.