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Tag: COP11

  • ITGA Demands Inclusion Ahead of WHO COP11

    ITGA Demands Inclusion Ahead of WHO COP11

    On World Tobacco Growers’ Day, global tobacco farmers raised concerns over their continued exclusion from international policymaking, calling for transparency and inclusion ahead of next month’s WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of the Parties (COP11) in Geneva. International Tobacco Growers’ Association president José Javier Aranda sent a letter saying the FCTC process has become increasingly opaque, with decisions made behind closed doors and little agricultural representation—fewer than 5% of delegates have expertise in farming. He warned that measures discussed at COP11 could impact millions of livelihoods across tobacco-producing nations.

    “We understand the concerns about the negative impact of tobacco consumption, and we support policies that are genuinely aimed at reducing harm,” Aranda said. “But what we cannot understand is why tobacco growers and their representatives are given such a fundamentally different treatment compared to other sectors.

    “As representatives of tobacco growers, we cannot remain silent. We raise our voice today to condemn this misconduct of the WHO FCTC Secretariat. Our governments must stand with us. I have already sent a letter to the WHO and the WHO FCTC, calling for transparency and inclusion. We expect to be heard.”

  • “Good COP” to Parallel WHO’s COP11

    “Good COP” to Parallel WHO’s COP11

    The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) announced the launch of “Conference of the People (Good COP)” to be held November 19 in Geneva, parallel to the World Health Organization’s COP11. Good COP will be a “rapid-response and fact-checking forum” to counter discussions from the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    The event aims to unite taxpayer-, free-market-, and harm-reduction organizations to challenge misinformation and present alternative, evidence-based perspectives. It is intended to be an open forum for consumers, independent scientists, and journalists who are often excluded from WHO’s closed-door sessions.

    “Currently, there is no cohesive, organized message to balance the misinformation stemming from the WHO and institutions under the auspices of the FCTC,” the TPA said in a press release. “Each day of the conference, experts and consumers will gather to respond in real-time to COP proceedings and hear from sponsoring organizations who will set the agenda for their respective day.”

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) also announced today (October 27) that it will hold “Asia Day – The Good Cop 2.0,” in conjunction with the TPA event. “Asia Pacific cannot afford another decade of ‘quit or die’ policies,” said Clarisse Virgino, CAPHRA’s Philippines representative. “We’ve seen harm reduction save lives in HIV, alcohol, and drug policy — denying it for tobacco is both unscientific and unethical.”

    “Asia Day will not be about slogans or ideology — it’s about dialogue, data, and human rights,” said Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA’s Executive Coordinator.

  • WHO Secretariat Accuses Tobacco Industry of Interference

    WHO Secretariat Accuses Tobacco Industry of Interference

    The Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) accused the tobacco industry of ramping up efforts to interfere with international tobacco control policymaking in advance of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) beginning November 17 in Geneva, according to the Albanian Daily News (ADN). Andrew Black, acting head of the WHO FCTC Secretariat, condemned what he described as deliberate attempts to weaken global health measures.

    “With strategies varying from lobbying to outright attempts to manipulate delegations, the tobacco industry’s tactics are a cause for serious concern,” Black was quoted by the ADN. “This is not just lobbying; it is a deliberate strategy to try to derail consensus and weaken measures to further the treaty’s implementation. Tobacco industry interference is one of the biggest constraints and barriers to the implementation of the Convention. The Secretariat strongly urges Parties, civil society, and other stakeholders working to support tobacco control to remain vigilant against the industry’s tactics and misinformation.”

    The COP11 session will bring together representatives from across the globe to discuss new policies to curb nicotine addiction, protect human health, and address environmental harms linked to tobacco.

  • ITGA Meeting Focuses on Sustainability, Eyes COP11

    ITGA Meeting Focuses on Sustainability, Eyes COP11

    The International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week, with discussions covering market trends, regulation, and sustainability. Growers expressed concern over oversupply pressures and shrinking profitability, while new analysis from Euromonitor International suggested global leaf tobacco demand will remain stable in the medium term. ITGA stressed that advocacy must start with farmers’ lived experiences, which provide credibility and balance in regulatory debates.

    Looking ahead to COP11, ITGA warned of insufficient agricultural expertise in global policymaking and vowed to press for more inclusive dialogue. The AGM also reaffirmed its commitment to securing a living income for farmers, with ITGA President José Aranda cautioning that ignoring this issue could threaten entire markets.

  • CAPHRA Urges COP11 Attendees to Shift View on Harm Reduction 

    CAPHRA Urges COP11 Attendees to Shift View on Harm Reduction 

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today (March 31) urged global tobacco control policymakers to abandon outdated prohibitionist approaches and embrace harm reduction strategies grounded in science.  

    Ahead of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s (FCTC) COP11 meeting later this year, CAPHRA emphasized that meaningful progress requires inclusion, transparency, and a commitment to evidence-based policymaking. 

    Despite decades of tobacco control efforts, global smoking rates have stagnated at 1.1 billion smokers since 2000. CAPHRA attributes this failure to the FCTC’s refusal to engage with harm reduction strategies or include consumer organizations in its decision-making processes. 

    “The FCTC’s ‘quit or die’ approach has failed. It’s time for a mindset shift that prioritizes science over ideology and inclusion over exclusion,” Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA Executive Coordinator, said. “Consumer organizations like CAPHRA represent millions who have successfully transitioned to safer alternatives—our lived experiences must inform policy. 

    “COP11 presents an opportunity for the WHO FCTC to finally grant observer status to consumer advocacy groups. Without the voices of those directly impacted by tobacco harm reduction strategies, policymaking remains disconnected from reality. The secrecy surrounding COP meetings undermines trust and progress. Hosting open consultations with civil society during proceedings would ensure accountability and bring much-needed balance to global tobacco control discussions.” 

  • CAPHRA Wants WHO to Embrace Consumer Voices

    CAPHRA Wants WHO to Embrace Consumer Voices

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) demanded the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) end its exclusion of consumer organizations and adopt evidence-based tobacco harm reduction (THR) as a vital public health strategy ahead of its COP11 meeting.

    CAPHRA called on COP11 delegates to grant formal observer status to consumer groups, adopt risk-proportionate regulations distinguishing safer products from cigarettes, and subject WHO FCTC policies to United Nations human rights oversight.

    “The WHO must evolve. Consumer advocates are not the enemy—they’re the bridge to pragmatic solutions and essential partners in reducing smoking-related harm,” said Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA Executive Coordinator. “COP11 must prioritize transparency and science over ideology. Lives hang in the balance.”

    CAPHRA pointed to New Zealand’s progressive vaping policies that have helped the adult smoking rate drop below 6% in 2024 and Japan’s adoption of heated tobacco products have also driven smoking rates to record lows. Conversely, Australia’s prohibitionist approach has fueled a thriving black market for unregulated vaping products, exposing consumers to greater risks.

    “The WHO’s refusal to engage with consumer groups—those most directly affected by its policies—undermines global public health,” said Loucas. “By silencing consumer voices and dismissing safer alternatives, they prioritize ideology over science, costing lives.”

  • Consumer Groups Demand Seat at COP11

    Consumer Groups Demand Seat at COP11

    Photo: v-a-butenkov

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is calling on the World Health Organization to open the upcoming Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of the Parties (COP11) to consumer advocacy groups, in line with human rights principles and evidence-based policymaking.

    “The WHO FCTC process must adopt a human rights approach that considers the implications across the entire life cycle of tobacco products, from growing to consumption,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the CAPHRA. “This requires meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, including consumers, to strengthen policy formulation and implementation.”

    The CAPHRA points to a WHO Western Pacific Regional Office’s report highlighting that “a key element to creating a successful tobacco control social movement is the meaningful engagement and involvement of civil society.” The report notes civil society’s crucial role in “initiating, leading and sustaining tobacco control efforts to improve public health.”

    “Consumer groups are not constrained by bureaucracy and can hold both industry and government accountable,” Loucas added. “Our exclusion from COP11 flies in the face of the WHO’s stated principles on civil society engagement.”

    The CAPHRA is urging the FCTC Secretariat to formally invite consumer advocacy groups as observers to COP11, to create dedicated sessions for civil society input during COP11 proceedings and to establish an ongoing mechanism for consumer group consultation between COPs.

    The organization emphasizes that evidence clearly shows tobacco harm reduction strategies like vaping have helped millions quit smoking. Consumer voices are critical to ensure policies reflect real-world impacts.

    “The WHO cannot claim to take a human rights approach while silencing the very people their policies affect,” said Loucas. “It’s time to practice what they preach on civil society engagement and let consumers into COP11.”