WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING BODY ON THE WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL Third session Provisional agenda item 2 A/FCTC/INB3/4 Add.1 21 November 2001
Regional intersessional meetings on the framework convention on tobacco control 1. In preparation for the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (22-28 November 2001), Member States have held regional and subregional consultative meetings in order to review and evaluate proposals made to the Chair’s text1 during and after the second session of the Negotiating Body. This report summarizes those meetings.
MEETING OF MEMBER STATES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION 2. The first regional meeting on the framework convention on tobacco control (Tehran, 15-16 September 2001), hosted by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was held to discuss the current text of the convention and to elaborate a text on compensation and liability (Article J). All 23 Member States in the Region were invited to participate but, unfortunately, owing to the international situation, only five States were able to attend.2 Previously, a committee of experts had been established by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to prepare a text for this Article, which was reviewed by selected international experts before the meeting. This text was modified according to the suggestions by participants and, after the consultative meeting, circulated to all Member States in the Region. No additional amendment or suggestion was received.
CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES 3. A consultative meeting for the 12 countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (Moscow, 28-29 September 2001), hosted by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Regional Office for Europe, was attended by 11 states.3 The Government of the Russian Federation had prepared and circulated to the 12 countries proposed revisions to the Chair’s text1 taking into full account the Co-Chairs’ working papers.4 Most countries were represented by
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Document A/FCTC/INB2/2. Iran (Islamic Republic of), Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. 4
Documents A/FCTC/INB3/2(a),(b),(c).
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deputy ministers of health and other high-level government officials. Each participating country was allotted time to co-chair part of the proceedings. 4. The revised text was discussed article by article, and agreement was reached by consensus on numerous textual proposals. A final document was distributed to all participants, it being agreed that delegations would consult with their governments after the meeting. Delegates expressed the hope that the countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States would have adopted a consensus for the third session of the Negotiating Body, and resolved to hold further consultations on the convention.
CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF MEMBER STATES IN THE AFRICAN REGION 5. A consultative meeting of Member States of the African Region was organized and hosted by the Ministry of Health of Algeria (Algiers, 2-4 October 2001), with 26 countries participating.1 The Regional Office for Africa and headquarters provided requested technical and legal support. 6. The meeting enjoyed strong support at the political level, with several ministers of the Government of Algeria participating. The meeting was chaired by Algeria and co-chaired by South Africa, as Vice-Chair of the Negotiating Body and Chair of the Regional Group. Throughout the meeting, the importance of Africa’s input into the ongoing negotiations on the framework convention was emphasized. 7. Participants at the consultative meeting of Member States of the African Region on the framework convention on tobacco control (Johannesburg, South Africa, 13-14 March 2001) had modified the original Chair’s text to produce the “Johannesburg text”. In Algiers, delegations updated that text in light of the proposals in the Co-Chairs’ working papers. All the provisions in these working papers were examined, and consensus was reached. The form and substance of the Johannesburg text were amended, taking into account both the positions adopted by the group at Johannesburg and the new proposals contained in the Co-Chairs’ working papers. The meeting adopted the “Algiers text” (replacing the Johannesburg text) as well as the Algiers Declaration on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
MEETING OF PACIFIC ISLAND STATES 8. The Government of New Zealand organized a consultative meeting of Pacific island Member States in Sydney, Australia (12-13 October 2001), following immediately after the Western Pacific Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for Tobacco Control. It was co-chaired by New Zealand and Palau. The 13 States that participated in the consultative meeting2 reviewed and evaluated the Co-Chairs’ working papers. Both the Regional Office for the Western Pacific and WHO headquarters provided technical support.
Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. 2 Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
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9. Six review papers had been prepared for the meeting, highlighting particular portions of the Co-Chairs’ working papers under the following six broad categories: (1) education, training and public awareness; (2) passive smoking; (3) packaging and labelling requirements; (4) advertising, promotion and sponsorship; (5) tobacco tax and duties; and (6) trade and economic issues. After reviewing these papers at the opening of the meeting, participants agreed to use them as the general structure. Certain sections of the Co-Chairs’ working papers were examined article by article, and consensus was reached on a proposed version of the articles in question. These texts will be distributed to the Pacific island States as part of a document that includes the proposed language, the review papers prepared, and the Sydney Agreement on Tobacco Control.
CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF MEMBER STATES OF THE SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION 10. The Royal Government of Bhutan hosted the South East Asian Inter-country Meeting (Thimphu, 30-31 October 2001), which was attended by delegates from nine Member States.1 The meeting was co-chaired by India and Bhutan. The consultative meeting was held to review the Co-Chairs’ working papers in preparation for the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, to assess the possibility of reaching or to establish a regional consensus on parts of the text of the framework convention, and to strengthen and expand the national bases for tobacco control in South-East Asia. The WHO Secretariat provided technical support. 11. Participants examined and discussed the textual proposals with respect to Articles C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, P and Q in the Co-Chairs’ working papers, and reached consensus on proposed versions. Participating Member States also adopted the Thimphu Declaration on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The proposed versions of the articles discussed will be distributed to the South-East Asia nations as part of a document that includes a list of participants, the agreed texts and the Thimphu Declaration.
MEETING OF LATIN AMERICAN MEMBER STATES 12. The first Latin American Symposium on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 5-8 November 2001), hosted by the Government of Brazil, was attended by 19 countries.2 It was co-chaired by Brazil and Peru. In preparation for the consultation, the organizers – from the Brazilian Government and PAHO – had prepared a draft proposal based on the texts negotiated during the first and second sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body and on the text in the Co-Chairs’ working papers. The meeting considered Articles D-L, reaching consensus on the formulation of almost all the provisions. Participants also adopted the Declaration of the Latin America Countries on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. = = =
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Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
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