Thanks to this beautiful country - the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for hosting the meeting.
Thank you especially for the Minister of Health Honorable Rajitha Senarathna and his team and especially to the dear friend Dr Palitha Abeykoon, chairman of NATA and his team.
Thanks to the representatives from the seven Parties to the WHO FCTC from the SEARO region. I can see the faces of many long term friends. Glad to see you and to welcome new friends from your country. You represent the true face of multisectorality. Customs, finances, justice and enforcement authorities, such as regulatory authorities and the police, working hand in hand with the health sector for the benefit of health.
Now is a timely moment to hold this workshop: we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the FCTC this year – the first 10 years of its life. Happy to note that all countries represented here are Parties and are making great efforts to implement this important treaty.
The Protocol has grown out of the Convention, and is an important instrument to address an issue that is causing illness and death as well as loss of revenue in all parts of the world, including in this region: illicit trade in tobacco products
The next Conference of the Parties, COP7 will take place in NOIDA in wonderful India – and the first Meeting of the Parties is expected to take place there.
The region is making efforts towards bringing the Illicit Trade Protocol into force. A recent meeting in December 2014 organized by the Convention Secretariat in partnership with WHO and hosted by the government of Myanmar focused on the ratification/accession to the Protocol. A national consultation on illicit trade was held in India in May by the Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Health, with over 120 participants from different Ministries and stakeholders.
It is my hope and wish that the workshop here in Colombo will spark a joint effort in this region: you have been bold in implementing the provisions of the WHO FCTC and your leadership will certainly help the world to bring the Protocol into force!