Yesterday, October 31st, ASH joined several international groups in calling on the International Labor Organization (ILO) to reject funding from the tobacco industry. Read our joint letter here.
Today, October 31st, the ILO joined most other multilateral bodies in ostracizing the tobacco industry by voting to reject tobacco industry funding. This move will not affect the ILO’s anti-child labor project which will continue.
The ILO’s reaffirmed commitment is crucial because Big Tobacco can never be a good corporate actor while still selling addictive and deadly products; no amount of “charity” can mitigate the 8 million deaths and trillion plus dollars their actions cost the world annually. In the specific case of the ILO, it was absurd that the tobacco industry – one of the leading causes of child labor in the world – tried to buy their way into being part of the solution. Groups that allow tobacco industry funding are simply being used to try to resuscitate a well-deserved toxic reputation.
The Framework Convention Alliance, also a signatory on the joint letter, issued a press release on this move too; read their statement here.
