Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Fourth session Punta del Este, Uruguay, 15–20 November 2010 Agenda item 7.9
FCTC/COP/4/27 17 November 2010
Coordination between WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative and the Convention Secretariat
1. It is a common responsibility and interest of the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties to support, facilitate and promote an effective implementation of the Convention by its Parties. Therefore, it is in the interest of both WHO and the Conference of the Parties and its structures to work at all levels in a cooperative way in order to meet the above responsibility and to achieve the primary objective of efficiently implementing the Convention. This has been recognized by decisions of the Conference of the Parties that aim to ensure that any kind of duplication of work and dispersion of efforts is avoided. 2. The Bureau was informed by the Head of the Convention Secretariat that at the operational level the cooperation between the Convention Secretariat and WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative has improved because of efforts undertaken to organize regular coordination meetings, alignment of workplans, joint and coordinated activities at country and regional level, etc. The Bureau welcomes these positive developments. 3. The above-mentioned mutual responsibility and interest should not only lead to effective operational cooperation and synergy between the Convention Secretariat and the Tobacco Free Initiative but also lead to mutual recognition of the role and responsibilities of both the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties at strategic and policy level. This mutual respect is a prerequisite of effective implementation of the Convention. The Conference of the Parties is primarily responsible at strategic level for establishing policies, objectives, priorities and their implementation to be operationalized through the Convention Secretariat, including its supervision. 4. Consequently WHO would carry out tobacco-control policies and measures which are mandated by the World Health Assembly and which fully take into account the Convention and relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties. 5. This means that the tobacco-control work defined in the WHO programme and budget should be fully aligned with the provisions of the WHO FCTC and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties concerning policies, objectives and priorities.
FCTC/COP/4/27
6. This should also mean that the decisions taken by the World Health Assembly with regard to tobacco control should be consistent with the decisions of the Conference of the Parties on implementation of the Convention. 7. In view of the required consistency at the policy level as well as the need for enhanced synergy between the work of the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties, the Conference may request the Bureau to suitably address and monitor progress in this regard, including through continued policy dialogue and exchange of information with the WHO leadership.
=
=
=
2
Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Fourth session Punta del Este, Uruguay, 15–20 November 2010 Agenda item 7.9
FCTC/COP/4/27 Corr.1 18 November 2010
Coordination between WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative and the Convention Secretariat Note by the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties
1. It is a common responsibility and interest of the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties to support, facilitate and promote an effective implementation of the Convention by its Parties. Therefore, it is in the interest of both WHO and the Conference of the Parties and its structures to work at all levels in a cooperative way in order to meet the above responsibility and to achieve the primary objective of efficiently implementing the Convention. This has been recognized by decisions of the Conference of the Parties that aim to ensure that any kind of duplication of work and dispersion of efforts is avoided. 2. The Bureau was informed by the Head of the Convention Secretariat that at the operational level the cooperation between the Convention Secretariat and WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative has improved because of efforts undertaken to organize regular coordination meetings, alignment of workplans, joint and coordinated activities at country and regional level, etc. The Bureau welcomes these positive developments. 3. The above-mentioned mutual responsibility and interest should not only lead to effective operational cooperation and synergy between the Convention Secretariat and the Tobacco Free Initiative but also lead to mutual recognition of the role and responsibilities of both the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties at strategic and policy level. This mutual respect is a prerequisite of effective implementation of the Convention. The Conference of the Parties is primarily responsible at strategic level for establishing policies, objectives, priorities and their implementation to be operationalized through the Convention Secretariat, including its supervision. 4. Consequently WHO would carry out tobacco-control policies and measures which are mandated by the World Health Assembly and which fully take into account the Convention and relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties.
FCTC/COP/4/27 Corr.1
5. This means that the tobacco-control work defined in the WHO programme and budget should be fully aligned with the provisions of the WHO FCTC and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties concerning policies, objectives and priorities. 6. This should also mean that the decisions taken by the World Health Assembly with regard to tobacco control should be consistent with the decisions of the Conference of the Parties on implementation of the Convention. 7. In view of the required consistency at the policy level as well as the need for enhanced synergy between the work of the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties, the Conference may request the Bureau to suitably address and monitor progress in this regard, including through continued policy dialogue and exchange of information with the WHO leadership.
=
=
=
2