SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS
Currently the intergovernmental talks on the legally binding global tobacco treaty are taking place in Panama. This meeting, formally called the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), has delegates from 183 countries representing more than 90% of the world's population, to review progress in the implementation of the global tobacco treaty, and take the next steps to help achieve the right of all people to lead healthy lives.
Daniel Dorado, Tobacco campaign Director at Corporate Accountability, rightly says that these talks are a critical venue to advance the global campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable and liable for its deadly products. He informs that over 30,000 signatures have been delivered onsite to government delegates attending the tobacco treaty talks showing the broad support from people around the globe to make Big Tobacco pay for its deadly products.
The global tobacco treaty (WHO FCTC) is the first ever public health and corporate accountability treaty of the WHO. If implemented fully it will protect human and environmental health. It plays a pivotal role in saving lives even as the tobacco industry comes up with newer tactics to entice new consumers and mint more profits.
Asian Tobacco Industry Interference Index
The Asian Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023 published by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) measure the compliance of Article 5.3 in 19 Asian countries on a score of 0 to 100. The higher the score, the worst is the country's performance.
Japan has the strongest tobacco industry interference (score is 88), followed closely by Indonesia (80), Malaysia (76), China (73), Bangladesh( 72) and Lao PDR (70). In contrast, the governments of Brunei with a score of 14 and Mongolia (score of 38) emerge as leaders in their ongoing efforts to combat tobacco industry interference.
Brunei, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, India and Thailand have enforced prohibitions on the tobacco industry's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
In Brunei and Lao PDR, stringent regulations are in place to prevent engagement with the tobacco industry.
However, despite these prohibitions, government endorsements of them have been recorded in India, Myanmar, and Thailand during the monitoring period of the Index. In India, significant amounts of CSR contributions by tobacco companies continue to occur, particularly in the areas of agriculture and livelihood. During the COVID-19 pandemic, tobacco companies increased their CSR contributions.
In Myanmar, JTI continues its initiative to provide drinking water for refugees.
In Thailand, the Tobacco Authority of Thailand organized the "See, Taste, Shop Chiang Rai Tobacco" project for Chiang Rai residents, facilitating agricultural product trading.
In Indonesia, CSR activities are encouraged under national laws. While there is a restriction of tobacco industry sponsorships, it is weakly enforced.
Tobacco industry CSR is not banned and remains a big problem in Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. In Cambodia, the industry engaged in various COVID-19 relief efforts, including providing alcohol dispensers and banners to the Ministry of Justice, distributing food packages in lockdown areas, and donating disinfection supplies to provincial administration.
With the exception of Brunei, which has prohibited duty-free tobacco products, all countries surveyed still permit duty-free allowances for international travelers. This practise undermines the effectiveness of tobacco taxation, and promotes and normalizes tobacco use.
The good news
Some countries are taking preventive measures. Ten countries, namely Brunei, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, and Thailand, have proactively introduced policy measures aimed at safeguarding the bureaucracy or a specific ministry or department from undue interference by the tobacco industry.
Policies for disclosing records of interactions with the tobacco industry and its representatives are in place in countries such as Brunei, India, Maldives, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Nepal is also in the process of drafting such a policy. However, the effectiveness of these policies is hindered by the fact that governments do not disclose or make information from these interactions available to the general public.
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