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INC-3 Day 6/7: UN Plastics Pollution Treaty Negotiations

November 20, 2023 – INC-3 adjourned on Sunday, November 19th with a decision for the Secretariat to provide a revised zero draft text. The text will be available by December 31, 2023 and will serve as the subsequent document to be negotiated at INC-4, which will be held from April 21-30,

INC-3 Day 5: UN Plastics Pollution Treaty Negotiations

November 17, 2023 – The contact groups continued with the publication of the written submissions and revised synthesis documents. The Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA) and its allies spent much of the day reviewing everything as we were able. (Available online for those following along). Today’s debates centered around how and

The Astounding Impact of UN Treaties on Public Health

By: Laurent Huber, Executive Director of ASH I have now spent over two decades working on UN treaties and international processes with the aim of ending the negative health, social and economic consequences of tobacco products, and I am often asked: why?  Why don’t you just concentrate at the local

WHO, WHO FCTC & UNEP Webinar

Fighting tobacco product waste: Holding tobacco industry accountable for its environmental footprint June 2, 2022 – Tobacco control experts, including ASH’s Executive Director Laurent Huber, and environmental advocates from around the world join our roundtable discussion, hosted by the World Health Organization, the WHO FCTC Secretariat, and the UN Environment

Opposing Goals: The Tobacco Industry vs. Public Health

Author: Vivienne Brandt, ASH Policy and Communications Intern In 2003, the World Health Organization concluded negotiations of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which reaffirmed the right of all people to the highest attainable standard of health. This international treaty lays out the best practices to end the tobacco

Report: Cessation, The Right to Health

Access to Smoking Cessation Support is a Human Right ASH and ICTC Release a Report in Advance of World No Tobacco Day, May 31st Contact: Megan Arendt arendtm@ash.org | (202) 390 – 9513 WASHINGTON, DC – May 18, 2021 – Legally-binding human rights norms implore or require governments to protect

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ASH Statement: U.S. Rejoins the World Health Organization

Statement of Laurent Huber, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health Washington, DC – January 21, 2021 – Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) applauds President Biden for rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO), within hours of taking the oath of office. Membership in the WHO is important at any

Publication from the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC

November 11, 2020 With COP9 postponed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) released this new publication: Global Strategy to Accelerate Tobacco Control:  Advancing sustainable development through the implementation of the WHO FCTC 2019 – 2025   The Secretariat

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Essay from Atul, a 10th Grade Student in Chennai, India

Why does this year’s World No Tobacco Day matter to children? By: Atul, Grade X, Chennai, India Every year, 31 May is observed as World No Tobacco Day by the World Health Organization (WHO)  and this year’s theme is ‘protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the world’s first public health treaty. It was negotiated as the world’s response to the global tobacco epidemic. The FCTC was completed in 2003, and has now been joined by 180 countries and the European Community. Learn More About the FCTC

Parallel issues

There are numerous other issues that provide legal or political precedent that can be applied to tobacco and human rights. Environment Environmental Issues that are Indirectly Relevant to Tobacco Climate Litigation against Companies: An Overview of Legal Arguments 2018- The Business and Human Rights Resource Center tracked 14 climate lawsuits

Regional Mechanisms

In addition to global mechanisms and international human rights treaty bodies, there are several regional bodies. They are responsible for the human rights in their respective regions, and therefore, can be very useful for advocates living and working in those regions. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The Inter-American Commission

Global Mechanisms – The United Nations

This global mechanisms section encompasses official documents including resolutions, statements, letters, and more that pertain to tobacco control and human rights at the international level, but do not fall under a human rights treaty body. UN Statements, Resolutions and Declarations Relevant to Tobacco Control and Human Rights UN Statements on

70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

December 10 is international Human Rights Day, in observation of the day that the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document set out, for the first time, the inalienable rights which everyone is entitled to as a human being. It’s also the world’s

Statement from ASH Executive Director Laurent Huber on new PMI Foundation

On September 13, a new chapter in the struggle against tobacco began with a surprise announcement. Philip Morris International, a multinational giant and marketer of Marlboro, the world’s most popular cigarette brand, has committed itself to fund a new entity, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, with just shy of

The U.S. Is Not Living Up to Its Obligation to Protect the Health of Its Citizens

All countries around the world, including the United States, have committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to strengthen universal peace and eradicate poverty.  The harms that tobacco products cause to society are well known. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death,

The world’s largest tobacco company wanted good press – but it backfired

Re-printed as an English translation with permission from Buzzfeed Germany, original article in German here. Stop producing or marketing tobacco! This is what an Institute for Human Rights has recommended to Philip Morris International, the manufacturer of Marlboro. Posted by Buzzfeed on May 22, 2017, 4:51 pm Daniel Drepper Chief Editor, BuzzFeed

We Agree: Put Big Tobacco out of business

The embattled tobacco industry is struggling to fight off one of its fiercest and possibly most dangerous foes to date: the World Health Organization. The Hong Kong native who has run the U.N. body for the past decade, Margaret Chan, takes evident pride in being called Big Tobacco’s public enemy

New research published by the World Health Organization (WHO)

This new research by the WHO shows the huge opportunity governments have from increasing taxes on tobacco. WHO found that if cigarette tax increased by US$ 0.8 (or 1 international $) per pack worldwide, as many as 15 million lives of current smokers could be saved, and US$141 billion in

Does Tobacco Violate Human Rights?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Office: 202-659-4310 Email: arendtm@ash.org Does Tobacco Violate Human Rights? Inter-American Commission Ponders Question WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 6, 2016 – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) heard testimony from experts yesterday on why tobacco should be considered a human rights issue. The thematic

New Global Anti-tobacco Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Email: arendtm@ash.org New Global Anti-tobacco Leadership After twelve years of success, ASH passes FCA baton to HealthBridge WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 20, 2016 – After more than a decade of successful leadership and myriad public health victories, Laurent Huber of Action on Smoking and