Third meeting of the Working Group on Tracking and Tracing Systems (article 8): summary report

Third meeting of the Working Group on Tracking and Tracing Systems (Article 8) 4–5 April 2023 Virtual meeting, Zoom Summary report 1. The present report contains a summary of the discussions and decisions taken at the Third meeting of the Working Group on Tracking and Tracing Systems (Article 8), held virtually. The Working Group was established by the First session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, in decision FCTC/MOP1(6), and its mandate was extended by the Second session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol in decision FCTC/MOP2(6). The Convention Secretariat, which serves as the secretariat of both the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the Protocol, facilitated the meeting, under the guidance of the Key Facilitators of the Working Group. 2. As decided by the Working Group at its second meeting, the Convention Secretariat made arrangements to establish a drafting group, tasked to prepare a draft report to be presented to the Working Group for comments during a consultation period and for validation at its third meeting. According to the composition agreed by the Working Group, the drafting group was composed of the European Union (EU), Kenya, Pakistan and Senegal (Key Facilitators), as well as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Party to the Protocol interested in participating). 3. The drafting group produced a draft report incorporating the outcome of deliberations of the Working Group at its second meeting. The Convention Secretariat shared the draft report with the Working Group in February 2023, providing members and observers with the opportunity to comment during a three-week consultation period. Having considered the feedback received during the consultation period, the drafting group, with support from the Convention Secretariat, presented the draft report at the Third meeting of the Working Group for final comments and validation. 4. The Third meeting of the Working Group was attended by:1 - 16 Parties to the Protocol, as members; - 10 Parties to the WHO FCTC that are not Parties to the Protocol, as observers; - one intergovernmental organization (World Customs Organization), as observer; - one nongovernmental organization (Smoke Free Partnership), as observer; and - the staff of the Convention Secretariat. 1 The full composition of the Working Group is available on the Convention Secretariat website. 5. Following agreement by the Working Group, the meeting was chaired by Kenya, with Pakistan acting as the Vice-Chairperson and the EU acting as Rapporteur. 6. The objectives of the meeting were agreed as follows: “The objective of the Third meeting of the Working Group is to provide its members and observers, as well as invited experts, with the opportunity to review and discuss the draft report that the drafting group has been working on for the past few months, with the view of finalizing it.” 7. The provisional agenda, contained in the annex of the present report, was adopted as proposed. 8. The agenda of the two-day meeting was focused on reviewing and validating the draft report, sections of which were presented by members of the drafting group, with support from the Convention Secretariat. 9. During the first day of the meeting, the drafting group described the content of the report and explained how it incorporated the comments received from the Working Group during the consultation period. Further, it provided clarifications in relation to standing questions – namely on the proposed criteria to transition from the interim solution to more advanced versions of the global information-sharing focal point (GSP), emphasizing that the interim solution of the GSP was already considered to be compliant with the requirements of Article 8 of the Protocol. A proposal from one Party with reference to exchange of good practices was added to the draft decision. A slightly amended version of the draft report was circulated to the Working Group at the end of the first day to provide members and observers with an additional opportunity to comment. Having received no further comments, the Working Group validated the report for submission to the Third session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP3) to the Protocol, including the draft decision, as proposed. 10. In relation to the next steps, the Convention Secretariat informed the Working Group that it would circulate the report as validated at its third meeting, and subject to no objection from the group within the agreed deadline, the Convention Secretariat would prepare the report of the Working Group for submission to MOP3 as part of its regular documentation for the session. The Working Group agreed that the report should be circulated and prepared for submission to MOP3. 11. There were no requests for any other business to be discussed. 12. The Chairperson thanked participants for their contributions and closed the meeting. ANNEX PROVISIONAL AGENDA 1. Opening of the meeting - Election of the Chair, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur of the meeting - Welcome remarks from the Chair - Objectives of the meeting 2. Adoption of the agenda Review and validation of the draft report by the Working Group 3. Background Presentation by the Convention Secretariat 4. Collection of information on the development and implementation of tracking and tracing systems Report by the Convention Secretariat 5. Working Group meetings Presentation by the Convention Secretariat 6. Conceptual analysis for the establishment of a global information-sharing focal point (GSP) Presentation by the Convention Secretariat 7. Legislative framework, including legal, security and confidentiality issues related to sharing tracking and tracing information Presentation by the Convention Secretariat 8. Interim solution for the GSP Presentation by Parties in the drafting group: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 9. Road map for implementing the GSP (version 2 and 3 of the GSP) Presentation by Parties in the drafting group: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union 10. Conclusions, recommendations and draft decision Presentation by Parties in the drafting group: European Union 11. Next steps Presentation by the Convention Secretariat 12. Any other business 13. Closure = = =