Tobacco

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which came into force on 27 February 2005 is an international legal instrument (Treaty) designed to address the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption worldwide.

The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) entered into force on 27 February 2005 making the provisions of the treaty legally binding for the first 40 Contracting Parties to the Convention. Australia ratified the FCTC on 27 October 2004.

The FCTC is the first global public health treaty and aims to advance international cooperation to protect present and future generations from the preventable devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. The treaty commits nations to implement policies on tobacco price and tax increases, banning or restricting tobacco advertising and sponsorship, labelling with more prominent health warnings, reducing exposure to second-hand smoke, smoking cessation treatments and illicit trade.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of the Convention that will decide on technical, procedural and financial matters relating to the implementation of the Treaty. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of the Convention that will decide on technical, procedural and financial matters relating to the implementation of the Treaty. To date, the COP has met annually, with the first meeting being held in February 2006.

The COP has adopted guidelines for implementation of the following Articles of the Convention:

Article 5.3: Protecting public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law

Article 8: Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke (PDF 129 KB)

Article 11: Packaging and labelling of tobacco products

Article 13: Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship

Up to date information on the FCTC including: the FCTC Text, records of FCTC negotiations, information of upcoming FCTC meetings and events, up to date lists of signatories and contracting parties to the Convention, COP meeting papers, and outcomes of COP meetings, can be found at the WHO FCTC website at http://www.who.int/fctc/en/index.html The Framework Convention Alliance website also contains up to date information on the FCTC and can be found at http://www.fctc.org/

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Public Notification of meetings between the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and the Tobacco Industry

Guiding Principle Number 2 of the guidelines for Article 5.3 states “Parties, when dealing with the tobacco industry or those working to further its interests, should be accountable and transparent”.

In recognition of this guiding principle (adopted by the COP at its meeting held in November 2008) the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing wishes to advise that the following meetings have been conducted with the tobacco industry:

22 January 2009 - Meeting held with British American Tobacco Australasia (BATA)
BATA representatives:

• Mr Bede Fennell, Head of Public Affairs
• Mr Andreas Vecchiet, Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs

Issues discussed:

• Key points of the BATA submission in response to the Australian Governments Preventative Health Taskforce Technical Report 2 “Tobacco Control in Australia: Making Smoking History”;
• How the Article 5.3 Guidelines will apply to the tobacco industry; and
• Timeframe relating to the availability of the graphic health warnings evaluation, which was funded by the Department of Health and Ageing.