The Convention is often characterized as the floor for tobacco control efforts, and not a ceiling. This is highlighted in Article 2.1, which provides that “In order to better protect human health, Parties are encouraged to implement measures beyond those required by this Convention and its protocols, and nothing in these instruments shall prevent a Party from imposing stricter requirements…”. This supports the implementation, at the discretion of Parties, of policies and measures that may not be specified in the Convention, but which are geared towards the objective of continually and substantially reducing tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke. 

Parties to the WHO FCTC have reported that they have implemented forward-looking tobacco control measures or measures that expand or intensify approaches to tobacco control. The inclusion of this item in the agenda of COP10 and COP 11 further reflects the growing interest of Parties in measures under Article 2.1 of the WHO FCTC.

The report of the Expert Group established at COP10 on this topic provides additional information on forward-looking tobacco measures, in the form of an overview of the experience of Parties and a literature review of relevant tobacco control policies.