CNS: Global tobacco treaty meetings marred by industry interference

Governments to industry: you’re not welcome
The global tobacco treaty negotiations concluded on 17th November 2012 after a week of Big Tobacco’s attempts to derail, distract, and intimidate 175 countries from strengthening lifesaving measures required by the public health treaty. Despite the industry’s underhanded tactics, governments made concrete progress. On the second day of the meetings, the ratifying countries kicked Big Tobacco and its front group representatives out of committee meetings after members of civil society, including Corporate Accountability International, exposed the lobbyists who infiltrated the meetings under the guise of "public badges.” Article 5.3 of the treaty expressly prohibits tobacco industry interference in public health policy, and thus, their presence in the meetings.

“Big Tobacco blatantly obstructed progress during negotiations by co-opting governments and maneuvering official seats on delegations. Its disregard for the treaty was on full display from the halls of the conference center to front group press conferences," said John Stewart, Challenge Big Tobacco Campaign Director. “We applaud countries for standing up to Big Tobacco and showing them the door.”

Tobacco industry presence was noted on several delegations at this year’s meetings including the Vietnam delegation, which included two executives from the Vietnam Tobacco Association.

In another example, despite attempts by the National Tobacco Authority (NTA), a government agency in the Philippines that promotes tobacco industry interests, to remain on the delegation, civil society pressured the government of the Philippines to exclude NTA members from its official delegation in Seoul.

“We commend the government of the Philippines for doing the right thing in this case, said Irene Reyes public health lawyer at Health Justice in the Philippines. “And this is a win for Article 5.3 of the treaty which denies official status to any organization that has a direct affiliation with the tobacco industry.”

Countries stood firm against Big Tobacco's obstructionist tactics and adopted measures that when fully implemented will save 200 million lives by 2050, including:

* Most notably, the first protocol to the treaty which sets out measures to rein in illicit trade in tobacco products. Illicit trade undermines tobacco control and costs governments billions of dollars in lost tax revenue, law enforcement and health care expenditures. It will also continue to impede the tobacco industry’s ability to engage in the illicit trade of its own products, which opens up new markets for its deadly brands and allows it to evade taxes.
* Countries took first steps to hold the tobacco industry liable for its abuses, exposing decades of deception and opening up the potential to generate much-needed revenue to treat tobacco-related disease. These steps could fundamentally change the way the tobacco industry operates globally.
* Countries adopted a set of guiding principles and recommendations that provide a solid basis for better tobacco tax policies around the world.
* Guidelines were adopted on disclosure of the toxic ingredients of its products.
* Parties reiterated their determination to prioritize public health over trade and resolved to strengthen action to protect public health policies from Big Tobacco.