Your excellency Anahit Avanesian, Minister of Health of Armenia; Dr Siddhartha Datta, WHO Representative to Armenia; Distinguished representatives of Parties participating in the FCTC 2030 Project; experts on tobacco control; colleagues from the Convention Secretariat and WHO; ladies and gentlemen.
Good morning to all, and a very warm welcome to the annual meeting of the FCTC 2030 Project.
It is a pleasure to gather with you here in Yerevan, the beautiful and vibrant capital of Armenia.
This week, we come together as a community of leaders united by our vital shared mission: to end the tobacco epidemic—both within our own countries and as part of a global effort.
Addressing the health, economic, social and environmental harms caused by tobacco requires long-term commitment and strong collaboration.
The FCTC 2030 Project enables countries to learn from one another, share practical solutions, and advance lifesaving, evidence-based public health policies.
As the flagship development assistance initiative of the WHO FCTC Secretariat, FCTC 2030 supports low- and middle-income countries to implement the Convention’s proven tobacco control measures. In doing so, we will not only reduce the profound burden of tobacco use on health and well-being but will also contribute substantially to broader sustainable development goals.
Our three-day meeting—organized by the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in collaboration with the WHO Country Office in Armenia—brings together FCTC 2030 countries, tobacco control experts and partners.
Over the coming days, we will review progress, consider many of the similar challenges we all face, and set clear priorities for the future.
And, in organizing this year’s meeting in Yerevan, we recognize the enormous progress made by the Government of Armenia in implementing tobacco control policies to protect young people from nicotine addiction and to support adult tobacco users to quit for good.
I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Minister of Health for her leadership and for ensuring that tobacco control has been given the priority needed to improve health and well-being in Armenia. We are also deeply grateful for the warm and generous welcome we have received.
Later this morning, we will hear more about Armenia’s remarkable tobacco control journey.
We will also learn from FCTC 2030 project countries around the world about their successes and the challenges they continue to face.
In putting together the agenda for this week’s meeting, we have listened carefully to your inputs and feedback, and identified key topics to explore together including:
- the regulation of new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products;
- innovative, forward-looking tobacco control measures;
- health warnings;
- multisectoral coordination;
- reporting under the WHO FCTC and Protocol; and
- protecting public health from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry, one of our most persistent barriers to progress.
We will also discuss illicit trade in tobacco products and how countries can strengthen their response through the implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
The goal of our time together this week is to continue deepening international cooperation—through honest exchange of experiences and open discussion of solutions.
I encourage everyone to share freely. Within the FCTC 2030 project, we are a trusted community of colleagues and friends.
To the FCTC 2030 countries in phase 2 of the project: let me recognize and congratulate you on your many achievements over more than five years of dedicated work. Although financial support for phase 2 countries is now coming to an end, the Convention Secretariat remains fully committed to providing the technical assistance and political engagement you need to achieve full implementation of the WHO FCTC and the Protocol. We will address sustainability in depth during Friday’s session.
My sincere thanks go to our donors—the United Kingdom and Norway—for their continued investment and steadfast support of your achievements. Without their generosity, the FCTC 2030 Project would not be possible. We are especially grateful to the United Kingdom for supporting this year’s meeting.
I also want to extend our profound thanks to our implementation partners and particularly to WHO at all levels. A special word of appreciation goes to the WHO Country Office for Armenia for their tireless support in making this week’s meeting a reality.
You will have the chance to meet many colleagues from the Convention Secretariat throughout the week. We are here for you—so if you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I know that travel arrangements have been complicated this year due to the conflict in the Middle East and the introduction of new IT systems at WHO. To those who were unable to join us in person, I offer my sincere apologies. We hope you will still feel very much part of the discussions and that your voice will be heard through virtual participation.
As we begin this meeting together, I wish you a fruitful, energizing and inspiring meeting. Thank you for your commitment, your partnership, and your unwavering dedication to saving lives through the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Thank you.
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