The Conference Blog

Next conference blogs in October, in Basel and Taipei

After the positive  experience of this collective blog during the COP2 conference in Bangkok, we have decided to conference blog again during the 4th European Conference on Tobacco or Health that is taking place in Basel, October 11-13  and during the 8th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health in Taipei, October 17-20.

So please, if you plan to attend those conferences and feel like blogging, contact me :).

If you are not attending, subscribe to the blogs and you'll get fresh news as if you were there.

Last, if you are planning a conference and would like our help to have a conference blog, contact me :)

Highlights of the FCTC COP2

The second session of the Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC COP2), Bankok, ended Friday 6 July 2007 after a week long series of negotiations and decision making regarding the implementation of the treaty.

In sum, the Conference of the Parties decided to:

All the articles published in the Alliance Bulletins during COP2

Since the pdf format does not allow you to see right away the content of each bulletin we thought it could be useful to provide you with a list of all the articles published in each Alliance Bulletin during COP2.
You'll also find links to the ones that have been published on this blog.

Tobacco pack warnings Vietnam has yet to get it right!

Sounds Familiar??

Vietnam Tobacco Industry’s (VINATABA) reasons why Vietnam cannot have picture-based pack warnings.

Excerpts from VINATABA’s presentation at the Workshop on Development of New Health Warnings, July 3, 2006

• Most countries in the world are using text-only health warnings, not pictorial ones. We are a poor developing country with outdated production technology and uncontrollable cigarette smuggling.

• Printing pictorial health warnings will be costly for the tobacco industry.

Packaging galore in Malaysia

It just took one clause in Malaysia’s Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 (CTPR 2004) to start a nightmare for tobacco control advocacy.

That clause explicitly stated that restrictions on advertising “shall not apply to any tobacco product advertisement in or on a packing containing a tobacco product.”

Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco love Thais more than Filipinos

Thais have long been accustomed to seeing graphic health warnings on cigarette packs sold in their country.

What many may not realize is that Marlboro and Mild Seven packs sold in Thailand are made in the Philippines by Philip Morris International (PMI) and JT International (JTI) licensee Fortune Tobacco.

L’industrie du tabac aura de beaux jours au Sénégal si…..

À une époque pas si lointaine que ça, le Sénégal était une référence en matière de lutte antitabac.
Sa loi du 09 novembre 1981 interdisait la publicité en faveur du tabac et son usage dans certains lieux publics.

Mais devant la pression des multi- nationales de tabac et des patrons de presse pour qui cette interdiction constituait un manque à gagner énorme, la loi de 1981 a été remplacée en février 1985 par une nouvelle loi qui se limite à interdire la publicité du tabac à la télévision.

Recrudescence de la publicité sur le tabac au Cameroun

A la faveur de la reprise des activités du cigarettier SITABAC, on assiste actuellement au Cameroun à la recrudescence de la publicité sur le tabac.
Vendue à l'unité, en violation des conventions internationales, la nouvelle cigarette de marque « Classic » ne coûte que 10 FCFA (= moins de 0,02 €), ce qui en fait le produit le moins cher sur le marché camerounais.
À titre de comparaison, la banane est vendue à l'unité au prix de 25 FCFA.

More articles from the Alliance Bulletins

During the conference we were only able to publish a few articles from the Alliance Bulletin: everybody was too busy to work out a blog format version.
As we are able to obtain texts we'll publish them, like the two articles in spanish about Mexico and Panama that Beatriz transmitted to us: muchas gracias :)

México cancela total y definitivamente su acuerdo con la industria tabacalera

En su intervención frente a la Conferencia de las Partes, el delegado de México Dr. Eduardo Jaramillo informó que el nuevo gobierno (2006-2012) ha procedido a cancelar, en todos sus términos y de manera definitiva e irrevocable, el acuerdo que se había suscrito con la industria tabacalera en 2004 durante la administración anterior.

Con una de cal y otra de arena, avanza Panamá en la implementación del CMCT

Panamá avanza con aciertos y desaciertos en la implementación del CMCT.

Se estima que, entre los años 2000 y 2005, han muerto cerca de 2000 personas por año, o 16% de las muertes totales, debido a causas asociadas al consumo de tabaco. Pero a casi tres años de su ratificación recién se logró el 27 de junio de 2007 la aprobación unánime en primer debate de la Asamblea de Diputados del proyecto de Ley N° 25 de 2004.

Alliance Bulletin COP2 Day 6, issue #71 for Friday July 6

The Alliance Bulletin #71  is available on line (pdf format).

DIRTY ASHTRAY AWARD: to Switzerland: Become a party and make Geneva smokefree and we'll be more interested in meeting there.

Orchid Award to OLAF the EU anti-fraud office for its offer of significant financial assistance towards the negotiation of the illicit trade protocol. This week a standard has been set for other Parties to follow.

Le dernier jour de la COP 2

C'est aujourd'hui le dernier jour de la COP2: beaucoup de décisions vont etre prises pendant ces jours inoubliables que nous avons passé ensembles avec nos dirigeants de la région Afrique. J espère qu'ils les appliqueront une fois de retour au pays.

FCA briefing: Gender and tobacco

FCTC COP2, Thursday 5 July: The FCA evening briefing on Gender and tobacco highlighted the importance of incorporating the gender perspective in FCTC implementation.

Rendez Vous en Afrique du Sud pour la COP 3

C'est sous les applaudissements des délégués et participants à la séance plénière que la candidature de l'Afrique du Sud a été rétenue pour l'organisation de la troisième session de la conférence des parties.

Alliance Bulletin COP2 Day 5 (issue #70) for Thursday July 5

The Alliance Bulletin #70  is available on line (pdf format).

DIRTY ASHTRAY AWARD: to FCA for being too wimpy to award the Dirty Ashtray to anybody. You're losing your edge, people...

Orchid Award to all paties for their positive decisions today on smuggling, advertising and negotiating priorities.

COP3: Cap vers l'AFRIQUE!

L'Afrique du Sud a dévoilé son intention pour l'organisation de la prochaine conférence des parties de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé et compte sur le soutien de ses pairs de la région Africaine.

Consensus on combating illicit trade and banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship

Consensus and progress are two words that best describe yesterday’s Committee A sessions at this 2nd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The issues up for discussion were; illicit trade; domestic and cross border advertising and sponsorship; and priority setting of the COP agenda.

Du Sucre et du piment!

Quoi que l'on essaie de manger, on y retrouve du sucre, et meme du piment!
La cusine Thai est un vrai délice pour les yeux...

Consultations régionales AFRO: mi parcours

Voici brièvement le rapport à mi parcours des consultations régionales AFRO à la quelle la CPEACT les délégués de la CPEACT assistent régulièrement.

Litigation- the sleeping giant of tobacco control

An exciting FCA evening briefing entitled: Litigation- Sleeping giant of tobacco control, was held on 4th July at the 2nd Conference of the Parties to the FCTC. Topics covered the worldwide litigation experiences, the human rights approaches to litigation as well as the financial and technical assistance for bringing cases against tobacco companies.

A Gender Perspective on Reporting and Exchange of Information

An important victory was scored at the 2nd Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), when Governments agreed to include gender in the final reporting and exchange of information document.

COP2 delegates seek adoption of laws to back smokefree laws

Delegates attending the ongoing conference of the World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco control treaty holding in Bangkok, Thailand, have unanimously recommended the adoption of guidelines that will help governments adopt stringent smoke-free laws.

Initiative de Bloomberg: pensez à l'Afrique

D'abord, je me présente: je m'appelle Djibril Wélé et je suis le secrétaire général du bureau régional de Dakar du Mouvement Anti Tabac au Sénégal.

Le MAT est une organisation non gouvernementale reconnue qui a été créée en 1992 et a obtenu la médaille d'or de l'OMS en 1994.

¿Cómo se logró que Uruguay cambiara tanto?

Uruguay es el único país de América Latina que tiene una política nacional sobre los ambientes 100% libres de humo. Hace pocos años, no era claro del todo que fuera posible: Un estudio publicado en JAMA en 2004 mostró que Uruguay era uno de los países latinoamericanos con mayores niveles de contaminación por humo de tabaco.

Alliance Bulletin COP2 Day 4 (issue #69) for Wednesday July 4

The Alliance Bulletin #69  is available on line (pdf format).

DIRTY ASHTRAY AWARD: to Japan for urging the COP to allow tobacco industry interference in product regulation by suggesting ISO should take the lead in this area.

Orchid Award to the Chair of Committee A for his outstanding handling of Tuesday's proceedings and for achieving acceptance of guidelines for Article 8 without opening up the text for discussion.

Parties Approve Article 8 Smokefree Guidelines

Yesterday was an exciting day of the 2nd Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC COP2), Bangkok. Committee A unanimously agreed to adopt the draft guidelines on the protection from exposure to tobacco smoke (Article 8).

Recomendada Adopcao Da Directivas Sobre Proteccao Contra Fumo Ambiental Do Tabaco (FAT)

Por Francisco Cabo
Os representantes dos paises na 2ª reuniao da Confrencia das Partes a CQCT a decorrer em Banguecoque, Tailandia desde 30 d3 Junho, recomendaram, numa das sessoes do Comite A da conferencia, adopcao na integra, das directivas propostas para ajudar os governos a adoptarem leis eficazes para proteger as pessoas contra a exposicao ao fumo ambiental do tabaco (FAT), vulgo fumo passivo.

Introducing picture based health warnings on cigarette packages in the Caribbean.

This article about picture based health warnings was originally published in the Alliance Bulletin # 68 (July 3, 2007 p. 5). It is co-signed by Eva Lewis-Fuller (Jamaica), Adrian Randall (Barbados) and Beatriz Marcet Champagne (InterAmerican Heart Foundation).

Regulations governing tobacco package warnings in the Caribbean in almost all countries are seriously outdated or non-existent.

World Customs Organization backs call for Protocol on Illicit Trade

by Adeola Akinremi (in Alliance Bulletin # 68)

The call for immediate establishment of a subsidiary body to begin negotiation of a protocol on illicit trade has received strong backing from the World Customs Organization, the intergovernmental agency of customs administrations.

Alliance Bulletin COP2 Day 3 (issue #68) for Tuesday July 3

The Alliance Bulletin #68  is available on line (pdf format).

NO DIRTY ASHTRAY AWARD today :)  Signs of progress.

Orchid Award to Australia, for announcing the first extra-budgetary funding contribution to the FCTC

Our voices have been heard: Article 8 guidelines approved

Dear friends, Your voices have been heard!  On Tuesday, July 3, 2007 -- during the Conference of the Parties -- the Conference Committee A approved the draft guidelines for Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, concerned with protection against secondhand smoke.

Loin de Bangkok, Libération s'intéresse au tabagisme en Chine

Et au sein de COP2? Qui peut nous parler de la situation en Chine et des positions des représentants chinois?

Illicit Tobacco Trade: Africa Must Unite

by Adeola Akinremi (also in the Bulletin)

The soul of Africa is on the line as Big Tobacco recently matched plans with action by opening manufacturing plants in Senegal, Mauritius and other African countries.
Without a collective strong position at this meeting to checkmate the attempted partitioning of Africa by the industry, the poorest Africans nations will suffer.

Alliance Bulletin COP2 Day 2 (issue # 67 ) for Monday

The Issue 67 of the Alliance Bulletin is available on line (pdf).

Today's Dirty Ashtray Award goes to "countries who have not paid their voluntary assessed contribution on time. You know who you are. So do we!"

The Orchid Award goes to 'England, for following the lead of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and thereby making the entire United Kingdom smoke-free as of July 1."

Fighting Big Tobacco: Nigeria sets the pace

A revolution is taking place in Nigeria and in turn the developing world.

A few observers have compared it to the Biblical fight between David and Goliath. For the first time in this part of the world, the Big Tobacco is being challenged.

Monday in a Nutshell

Monday was quite a long, activity-filled day. As I mentioned in a previous post, the regional consultations took place in the morning. In the AMRO discussions, the Article 8 guidelines were the key item under discussion. The content of the guidelines was supported by nearly all of the countries in the AMRO region, but further discussion is slated to take place today.

2A Reuniao Da Conferencia Das Partes A Convenção Quadro Para Controle Do Tabaco

Por Francisco Cabo
Os paises ratificantes da CQCT da OMS se encontram reunidos em Banguecoque, Reino de Tailandia, numa 2a reuniao da Conferencia das Partes, orgao maximo da CQCT.
Participam no encontro para alem dos paises que ratificaram o tratado, representantes dos paises que ainda nao ratificaram a CQCT a titulo de observadores, das organizacoes intergovernamentais e nao-governamentais.

Discusión de la Región AMRO con respecto a las Directrices para la Implementación del Artículo 8

Las sesiones hoy empezaron con las reuniones para los delegados de las diferentes regiones del WHO. Asistí a las reuniones de la región de AMRO donde se discutieron las directrices para la implementación del Artículo 8.

Introducing Blogger Ami

My name is Ami Valdemoro, and I am representing both the American Cancer Society and the Global Smokefree Partnership.

Adopt the Article 8 Guidelines for Protection from Tobacco Smoke

Hello friends,

The following article by Doug Blanke of the Global Smokefree Partnership appeared in Issue 67 of the Framework Convention Alliance bulletin, published on 2 July 2007.

It is expected that the adoption of the guidelines for Article 8 will be up for discussion in the afternoon on 3 July. There is an informal sense that the guidelines will be adopted with minor editorial changes to the Preamble. We will keep you posted on any developments!

Le Cameroun: un paradis pour la British American Tobacco?

Cet article signé Susie De Larosière-Mbouangouore Limbepe  de l’ Association Life- Cameroun a été publié dans le numéro 66 (30 juin 2007) du Bulletin de l'Alliance consacré à COP2.

Alliance Bulletin #66 includes first Dirty Ashtray and Orchid Awards

The first issue of the Alliance Bulletin devoted to COP2 is available on line (in a pdf format).

The first Dirty Ashtray Award goes to Paraguay "for turning a blind eye to the flow of illicit tobacco products from tis territory into neighbouring countries in spite of the obligations it has accepted uder Article 15."

The first Orchid Awards go to Finland, Ireland and New Zealand "for their exemplary leadership in drafting best-practice guidelines on Article 8."

Video:Death Clock Unveiled at FCTC 2nd Conference of the Parties

Video of Unveiling the Death Clock at the 2nd Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Bangkok, 30 June 2007.

Death clock unveiled-Over 33 million tobacco deaths since start of FCTC talks

The death clock which tracks minute by minute the number of tobacco related deaths worldwide since the opening of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) talks was unveiled Saturday afternoon.

FCTC 2nd Conference of the Parties begins

The second session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) opened yesterday, 30 June 2007. Signatories to the FCTC: 168 Parties to the FCTC: 148 Latest party: Uganda (ratified 20 June 2007)

NGO forum- 'Bringing FCTC to Life'

The forum for non governmental organisations, the first of its kind, took place at 1pm yesterday.The NGO forum which was opened to all was organized by the Framework Convention Alliance and aptly themed “Bringing FCTC to Life”. Key tobacco control experts gave presentations on topics such as smoke-free places, illicit trade, funding, health warnings and tobacco advertising and sponsorship. These topics will be up for discussion during this second conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

In Bangkok, at last

Finally, we arrived in Bangkok (Saturday night). We were a little bit delayed at the airport because of immigration and health issues.

Ouverture de COP2

Arrivé au Centre de Conférences des Nations unies (UNCC) de Bangkok, j’ai apprécié la beauté de l’édifice sous la fine pluie matinale avant de me prêter au contrôle et à l’enregistrement une fois à l’intérieur…L’enthousiasme des tous les participants pouvait se lire sur les visages !

FCTC COP2, Bangkok- What’s on the agenda?

The second session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) begins this Saturday 30 June and will run till Saturday 6 July in Bangkok, Thailand. The Conference of the Parties will convene to make decisions concerning the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Up for discussion is the action that was taken between the first and second session following the various decisions made at the first session of the Conference of the Parties that was held in February 2006, Geneva. Items on the agenda include: