April 28, 2024 – INC4 returned to full plenary for the first time in several days in order to discuss the possibility of intercessional work. Given the state of the draft text, it seems impossible to finish at INC5 in the absence of work over the next few months. –
April 27, 2024 – It is the fifth day of negotiations and fatigue is becoming evident as sessions go to 11:00pm and later, and the weekend brings no respite. Working groups are deep in text negotiations. And both contact groups that are negotiating our major interests will begin to move
April 26, 2024 – The third and fourth days of negotiations were spent discussing the minutiae of critical sections of the treaty. The highlight of the day came when Peru called for cigarette filters to be banned. Panama quickly supported them. Other notable news: – Switzerland, supported by four other
April 24, 2024 – Today the INC broke into groups to begin the arduous task of editing the zero draft. Even on the second day, the need for quick progress was recognized, and negotiations continued throughout the evening hours. This is when the work becomes a marathon; large delegations have
April 23, 2024 – Today was the opening of INC-4 and began with the opening plenary. The Chair – Luis Vayas Valdivieso of Ecuador – asked that delegations not make typical opening statements in order to save time. All the countries that produce oil or plastic precursor chemicals did so
April 22, 2024 – The fourth round of negotiations for the UN Treaty to End Plastic Pollution formally begins tomorrow, April 23rd, here in Ottawa. There has already been enough preliminary activity and speeches to warrant an early update. But it’s not great. As you may recall, ASH and our
Earth Day, first held in 1970, is an opportunity to raise awareness of our fundamental relationship with the environment around us and the vital need to protect and sustain it. The theme for Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs Plastics,” which is particularly relevant for one of ASH’s most important
March 30th is the International Day of Zero Waste, to draw attention to the lack of sustainability in the way the world currently works. While we may differ on solutions, there is no longer doubt that we can’t keep going like this indefinitely. We are poisoning our planet and thereby
Stoneham and Wakefield become the second and third towns in Massachusetts to pass Nicotine-Free Generation In February 2024, the quest to end the tobacco epidemic suffered a blow when the new government in New Zealand rescinded their world-beating endgame law. But before the doors closed, the endgame horse had already
What is the WHO Tobacco Treaty (i.e. the FCTC)? The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is a treaty that was formally negotiated by all Member States of the United Nations under the auspices of the World Health Organization, a subsidiary body of the United Nations,
Reproductive rights. Protection from gender-based violence. Maternity leave. Workplace discrimination. These are the topics that usually come to mind when one thinks about women’s rights. But one important protection is often left off of the list – tobacco control. Tobacco negatively impacts women in myriad ways. A few examples include:
The tenth Conference of the Parties (COP 10) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including FCTC/COP10(13) Implementation of Article 19 of the WHO FCTC: Liability. ASH is a proud supporter of this Decision adopted by the COP, the governing body of the Framework
The Tenth Conference of the Parties (COP 10) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including a decision entitled “Forward-looking tobacco control measures (in relation to Article 2.1 of the WHO FCTC)” that addresses innovative policies aimed at ending the tobacco epidemic.
The tenth Conference of the Parties (COP 10) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including Decision FCTC/COP10(20) Contribution of the WHO FCTC to the promotion and fulfillment of human rights. ASH is a proud supporter of this Decision adopted by the COP, the
The tenth Conference of the Parties (COP 10) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted a series of key Decisions including a decision entitled “Implementation of Article 18 of the WHO FCTC” that addresses the “environmental concerns associated with tobacco.” ASH is a proud supporter of this Decision
Social justice is both a public health and a human rights issue, and our work at ASH is designed to improve social justice around the world. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes that social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and
On the opening day of the 10th WHO FCTC Conference of the Parties (COP10), the Executive Director of the UN Environmental Programme, Inger Andersen, provided a clear description of the significant negative environmental impact of tobacco products and made an eloquent case for increased collaboration between FCTC and UN environmental
February 10, 2024 – COP10 was particularly special because several cross-cutting issues – human rights, the environment, and the tobacco endgame – were on the agenda. ASH and the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (then the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) led advocacy for a human rights decision at COP8
February 9, 2024 – Today is the second to last day of the 10th Conference of the Parties, and the Parties still have agenda items left to discuss, but they have also gotten through several of their important agenda items. Yesterday, the government of Ecuador proposed a Decision on the
February 8, 2024 – How the Sausage Gets Made Few of us have ever made actual sausage. But we’ll explain the process anyway, and then compare it to how things get done at FCTC COP. To make sausage, you need some casing, some meat and spices. You grind everything up, and
February 7, 2024 – Today was another packed day for the ASH delegation here in Panama. Several of ASH’s policy priorities have come up on the agenda of the COP. Unfortunately, fruitful debates on these items have been delayed because of country Parties spouting tobacco industry rhetoric. However, that has
February 6, 2024 – A typical day at the Conference of the Parties begins very early and ends very late, and today was no different. At 7:00 AM, ASH begins by meeting with our civil society allies to discuss strategy for the day. Starting at 9:00 AM, we attend meetings
February 5, 2024 – The in-person portion of the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) began today in Panama City. In a very fitting opening message, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said, “We must continue advocating for
Media Contact: Megan Manning manningm@ash.org Introduction In 2005, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) entered into force, becoming a legally binding treaty that has now been joined by more than 180 countries. Parties to the FCTC meet every two years (officially called the Conference of the Parties or
By: Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, Managing Attorney at ASH Throughout my time at ASH, I have visited the United Nations, both in New York and in Geneva, many times. But every single time I step onto a UN campus, I’m awestruck. This is where international change is made, and I am so
