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:
1. Adopt the strong guidelines on protection from exposure to tobacco smoke. (Article 8)
2. Establish an open ended intergovernmental negotiation body (INB) to draft and negotiate a protocol on illicit trade. (Article 15).
3. Establish a working group to elaborate guidelines on Article 11 (packaging and labeling of tobacco products).
4. Mandate the study group on economically sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing to continue its work and submit a report to COP3. (Article 17)
5. Establish a working group to elaborate guidelines for the implementation of Article 5.3 (tobacco industry interference)
6. Request the working group working on regulation of contents of tobacco products (Article 9) to continue its work, extending its mandate to Article 10 (product disclosure) and including product characteristics such as design features.
7. Establish a working group to elaborate guidelines on Article 12 (education, communication, training and public awareness)
8. Request the Secretariat, in consultation with Parties interested in the issue, to elaborate a first report on tobacco dependence and cessation (Article 14)
9. Establish a working group mandated to elaborate comprehensive draft guidelines on domestic and cross border advertising as well as to recommend key elements of a protocol on cross border advertising, promotion and sponsorship. (Article 13)
10. Mandate the Secretariat with support from TFI and guided by the bureau, to revise the format of the questionnaire for Group 1 questions while maintaining the content; to elaborate a draft of Group 2 questions; and to revise the format of the questionnaire so as to address, among other things, the development of indicators to measure gender sensitive policies.
11. Adopt the total budget of US$ 8,010,000 for the COP for the financial period 2008- 2009.
12. Adopt a work plan and to authorize the Secretariat to receive voluntary extra budgetary contributions in line with the work plan.
13. Ask the Secretariat to actively seek extra-budgetary contributions from Parties and other international donors to help Parties in need to carry out needs assessments and develop project and programme proposals for financial assistance.
14. Invite the WHO Director-General to support the Secretariat in assisting Parties in need to develop project and program proposals for financial assistance from all available funding sources.
15. Have South Africa host the 3rd session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in 2008.
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