The COP is invited to note the report, document FCTC/COP/8/4, on the initial results from the analysis of data received in the 2018 reporting period and to provide further guidance.
Based on the reports received from the Parties in the 2018 reporting cycle, there continues to be progress in the implementation of the Convention. However, implementation remains uneven, with rates ranging from 13% to 88%.
The 2018 Global Progress Report informs several stakeholders of the treaty’s progress and support priorities for increasing resources to continue acceleration of the Convention.
For the first time since the coming into force of the Convention, we have at least one formal report from all Parties. For the 2018 reporting cycle, 142 out of 181 Parties (78%) formally submitted their reports.
The highest reported implemented articles, with an average implementation rate of 65% or more are seen here, with top three being Article 8 (Protection from exposure tobacco smoke); Article 11 (Packaging and labelling of tobacco products); Article 12 (Education, communication, training and public awareness), Article 16 (Sales to and by minors).
Over 90% of Parties reported implementing measures to fully or partially protect their citizens from exposure to secondhand smoke.
Several Parties are going beyond and extending smoking bans to outdoor areas such as parks, beaches, playgrounds or outdoor dining areas.
Many Parties now include new and emerging tobacco products in their smoke-free legislations. Additionally, several Parties banned smoking in cars when transporting minors.
Health warnings are now required in 90% of Parties.
A domino effect was noted with the adoption of plain packaging in Australia – the first one - France, Ireland, UK, Hungary and many others.
86% Parties (86%) reported requiring pictorial warnings, and 60% of Parties require warnings to be at least 50% of the principal area of tobacco packs.
Timor-Leste is a world leader among Parties which has not yet adopted plain packaging - with health warnings covering 92.5% (85% front, 100% back) of the two main sides of tobacco packages.
90% of Parties reported having implemented educational and public awareness campaigns, here the example from Tonga.
World No Tobacco Day organized yearly by WHO remains a powerful mean and great opportunity for Parties to promote the implementation of the Convention.
72% of Parties reported having implemented comprehensive bans on TAPS (Article 13).
85% prohibit sales to minors, with more Parties increasing the minimum age to purchase tobacco product, with Sri Lanka applying a minimum age for purchase of 24 (article 16).
90% of all Parties indicated having implemented some tax and/or price policy (Article 6).
Two-thirds have comprehensive multisectoral strategies, plans and programmes, and the same proportion reported the establishment of a tobacco control unit (Article 5).
However, there several articles with less than 60% implementation. Several Parties have not yet implemented the timebound requirements within Article 8, 11 and 13.
Too many Parties still need to urgently implement measures such as smoking bans in public transport, requirement for health and pictorial warnings to cover at least 50% of the tobacco packaging. Only 25% of Parties declared including internet advertising in their national ban on TAPS.
Greater efforts and resources should be dedicated to address high risk special groups such as ethnic minorities, those in lower socioeconomic groups, and gender-specific focus. For example, 30% of Parties reported having awareness campaigns dedicated to certain ethnic groups.
A little over a quarter of tobacco-growing Parties reported promoting viable sustainable alternatives for tobacco growers.
Approximately a third of the tobacco-growing Parties reported having implemented measures to protect the health of the people and/or the environment in tobacco growing and manufacturing.
These are disappointing figures and we have the responsibility and the duty to do much more.
Despite significant progress Parties reported worrying gaps and challenges.
Two-third of reporting Parties reported lack of financial resources as a challenge, and approximately one-third mentioned insufficient human resources capacity. Several Parties mentioned the need for specific support for technical issues, including taxation, tobacco product content, illicit trade or liability. For example, 7% of Parties have taken action to recover tobacco-related costs.
Insufficient political commitment and intersectoral coordination was also reported as an impediment to the implementation of the Convention.
Increasing evidence shows a growing marketing of ENDS/ENNDS, and other novel nicotine products. This presented a significant challenge for regulators and enforcers of current laws and regulations.
A large number of Parties reported they had no provisions in place concerning those new products in their existing legislation.
The interference from the tobacco industry remains a major issue for Parties.
Even though more than two-third of Parties reported having adopted some measures to prevent tobacco industry interference, many, from all income levels, noted that interference by the tobacco industry and its allies was the most common challenge they faced. Parties reported that the tobacco industry specifically targeted non-health sectors.
There is a need to achieve full policy coherence at national level to ensure that the implementation of the WHO FCTC is multi-sectoral and integral to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Opportunities to integrate WHO FCTC implementation with other programmes such as NCDs, TB and HIV/AIDS should be pursued. The implementation of the Convention should be made the business of all sectors and national agencies.
Two-thirds of Parties reported receiving assistance from other Parties, while 38% reported providing assistance to other Parties.
Some Parties both received and provided support. The specific needs included transfer of skills and technology. Increasing demand was observed in the areas of litigation, taxation, legislation and policy development, technical support related to the Protocol, and implementation of Article 5.3.
As mandated by COP, the Convention Secretariat has been actively facilitating South-South and Triangular Cooperation. In addition to Party support, Parties reported receiving assistance from the Convention’s network of observers to COP, both IGOs and NGOs, working in coordination with the Secretariat.
More than 50 Parties engaged directly with, and received assistance from, the Convention Secretariat through a number of avenues. For example,
- The FCTC2030 project;
- The Needs Assessment conducted in collaboration with WHO, UNDP and other UN partners
- The Convention Secretariat established Knowledge Hubs
- The information from the Observatories on Strategies of the Tobacco Industry to guide their policy decision.
The Convention Secretariat remains committed to provide support to Parties and continue to facilitate information and skills exchange through all the means available.
Despite all the progress achieved by Parties, we need to remain vigilant. While the global smoking prevalence dropped from 24% in 2005 to 19% in 2017, the tobacco industry is still very much a threat to the Convention’s success. In order to progress significantly, we - the Parties, the Convention Secretariat and our national and international partners - have to collaborate. With all the tools available, Parties have the power as all as the duty to make full implementation of the WHO FCTC the business of everyone… for everyone!
Thank you