The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is a treaty that was adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly on May 2003 and became international law on 27th February 2005, after 40 UN-member states approved it; as of September 2008, 163 governments had approved the pact to become the first global health treaty approved under the WHO auspices. Although countries ratified and implemented the treaty, tobacco control civil society organizations played a significant role in the FCTC negotiation, ratification and implementation.
More than 350 organizations from the parties joined together under an overall organization, the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) aiming to influence the parties stand. Roemer, Taylor & Larivier (1989, p. 7) note “the parties are bound under the international law by the pact provisions which requires parties to adopt a comprehensive range of measures designed to reduce the devastating health and economic impacts of tobacco”. To achieve its broad objective, the treaty’s provisions include policies that supervise the manufacture, distribution, marketing, advertising and taxation standards on tobacco and tobacco-related products (Mackay 2003, p. 551).
The foundation stone of the treaty is “to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke” by enforcing a set of universal policies in the global fight against tobacco control (World Health Organization n.d.). It also establishes tobacco control as a priority on the public health agenda and sets up mechanisms for country commitment and accountability.
The FCTC has adopted several supply, demand and harm reduction mechanisms that are aimed to improve the health of the people by getting rid of the consumption of tobacco products and exposure to tobacco smoke (Mamudu & Glantz 2009). Given the dangers of tobacco smoking, the role to protect from tobacco products is inherent in the right to life and the right to the most achievable standard of health, as put in many international legal tools. The duty to protect people from tobacco smoke corresponds to a duty by governments to enforce legislations to protect people from dangers to their basic rights and freedoms. And this is the reason why the FCTC comes in to ensure that governments serve the public agenda in terms of tobacco control; campaigning to change the society (Taylor & Roemer 1996).
References
Mackay, J. 2003, “The making of a convention on tobacco control”, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 81, pp. 551.
Mamudu, H & Glantz, S. 2009. University online: A Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education. University of California, San Francisco, CA.
Roemer. R, Taylor. AL, Larivier. J. 1989, “Origins of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control”, American Journal of Public Health Legislation, vol.40, pp. 9-6.
Taylor, AL & Roemer, R. 1996. An international strategy for tobacco control. New York NY: John Wiley.
World Health Organization. n.d., Surveillance and monitoring. Web.