The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products celebrates its sixth anniversary today.
The international treaty, which currently has 69 parties, aims to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products through a comprehensive package of measures to be implemented by countries in cooperation with each other. The protocol builds upon and complements Article 15 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires parties to implement measures to counter illicit trade in tobacco products, such as supply chain control measures and cooperation in law enforcement and prosecution.
The protocol also addresses issues such as transnational organized crime, corruption, money laundering, national security, losses in government revenues, poverty and tobacco-related diseases.
According to the World Health Organization, illicit trade accounts for about 11 percent of total global tobacco trade, and its elimination could increase global tax revenues by an estimated $47.4 billion annually.