Treaty - FCTC
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
About WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 21 May 2003 and entered into force on 27 February 2005. It has since become one of the most widely embraced treaties in UN history and, as of today, has already 164 Parties.
The Convention was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. It represents a paradigm shift in developing a regulatory strategy to address addictive substances; in contrast to previous drug control treaties, the WHO FCTC asserts the importance of demand reduction strategies as well as supply issues.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of the WHO FCTC. It promotes and keeps under regular review the implementation of the Convention. The COP comprises all Parties to the Convention and holds regular sessions every two years.
In order to promote the implementation of the provisions of the treaty, the WHO FCTC envisages different instruments, such as Protocols and Guidelines which specify the implementation of different Articles. The Reporting by the Parties to the COP ensures the review and the monitoring of the implementation and enables Parties to understand and learn from one another's experiences in the implementation process.
The COP may establish such subsidiary bodies as are necessary to achieve the objective of the Convention. One example is the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for the elaboration of a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, the first potential protocol to the WHO FCTC. The COP also established several working groups with the mandate to elaborate guidelines and recommendations for the implementation of the different treaty provisions.