[Intl-tobacco] WHO Risks Missing Deadline for Convention on Tobacco Control (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

WHO Risks Missing Deadline for Convention on Tobacco Control
by Marc Wolfensberger
Source: Bloomberg News, Friday, 5/4/01

Geneva, May 4 (Bloomberg) -- The World Health Organization risks missing
its own 2003 deadline for adopting a convention on tobacco control, after
the second round of talks between the group's member-states failed to make
progress.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which aims to reducing
cigarette consumption and tobacco-related deaths around the world, is due
to be adopted by the WHO countries' health ministers at the WHO annual
assembly in May 2003.

``I was hoping some real negotiations would take place this week, but it
was not really the case,'' said Ambassador Celso Amorim, who chaired a
five-day round of talks at the WHO in Geneva. Many proposed new amendments
to the draft agreement delayed the process, he said.

Critics say the amendments are attempts by several tobacco- producing
countries to delay the talks, undermining the WHO's chances of producing
international guidelines that carry weight.

Several non-governmental organizations present this week in Geneva accused
countries such as the U.S. and Germany of trying to wreck the agreement.
Today, British-based Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) went one step
further by calling on the Bush administration to withdraw from the
negotiations.

``Why should the U.S. be part of this convention, if we know that they
will hardly ever ratify it at home,'' Clive Bates, director of ASH, said
in an interview. ``We would be better with them outside.'' Bates
criticized the Bush administration for being a ``partial party'' because
its close ties with the tobacco industry.

Cut Advertising

The draft convention includes restrictions on tobacco advertising and
calls for the gradual withdrawal of sponsorship from sports events by
cigarette companies. It would also commit countries to clamp down on
cigarette smuggling and put health warnings on cigarette packets.

The draft encountered strong resistance from the tobacco industry this
week, which is not part of the talks.

British American Tobacco Plc said such a draft convention would not
constitute a ``sensible regulation.'' It also accused WHO of wasting
public money on trying to impose supranational regulations that will
undermine government sovereignty on tobacco control.

Amorim, a Brazilian, said he would keep fighting for a ``meaningful and
ratifiable'' treaty, and that ``real negotiations'' would start at the
next round of talks, probably at the end of November.

``We will need to consider to have more meetings each year'' to stick to
the May 2003 target, he said, ``because tobacco related problems are an
urgent issue.''

WHO says that most tobacco related deaths will in future take place in the
developing world. By 2030, the total annual tobacco death toll is expected
to reach 10 million, seventy percent of which will take place in
developing countries.

Deaths from tobacco use would then exceed those from malaria, tuberculosis
and HIV/AIDS combined, according to WHO.