In India, the seventh Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is taking place from 7th to 12th November 2016. Again, a representative of Unfairtobacco.org is on-site.

In Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh, India), the representatives of the 180 Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) meet for the seventh Conference of the Parties (COP7).

The delegates will exchange their experiences on which FCTC measures have been successful so far and how the implementation of the commitments could be improved. They will jointly decide on the work plan for the next two years.

Unfairtobacco.org is on-site

This year, we will again dispatch a representative to India. Like two years ago at the COP6 in Moscow, she will follow the negotiations as part of the delegation of the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) and will provide information on our main topics to the countries’ representatives.

The FCA has prepared a set of policy papers for the topics of the COP7. We contributed our expertise to the policy paper on alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers and on the protection of the environment.

Every day, an issue of the FCA Bulletin will be published. We will contribute to it with some texts.

We will keep you updated with news on facebook and twitter.

Keep the tobacco industry out

Like at past conferences, the tobacco industry again tries to exert its influence on the negotiations. In Moscow 2014, the ITIC tried to interfere with the guidelines on tobacco taxes. This year, it is the ITGA arguing, the tobacco farmers would have no opportunity to raise their opinion. Especially in India, the discussions about tobacco use and tobacco cultivation are closely linked to eachother.

Already since years, we raise awareness, that the International Tobacco Growers’ Association is a tobacco industry funded frontgroup which doesn’t represent the interests of smallholder tobacco farmers.

So far, neither the WHO nor the Indian government has backed down to the pressure of the industry. That’s great! We thank the FCTC Parties for protecting public health policies from tobacco industry interference.

Corporate Accountability International organises a thunderclap to flood facebook and twitter with messages from all over the world – join the action! Your message will be distributed to the conference delegates next monday at the very start of the meeting.

In India, where COP 7 of the WHO FCTC is taking place, the discussions about tobacco use and tobacco cultivation are closely linked to eachother.