As it draws closer, the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is once again facing mounting criticism ahead of its eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP11), which is scheduled for November in Geneva. Tobacco harm reduction (THR) experts warn that the conference’s increasingly closed-door approach and complex registration are set in place purposely to exclude the very stakeholders who could help save millions of lives.
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has condemned what it calls an “insane system” of public registration, designed not to welcome debate but to keep dissenting voices out. Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas said the requirements—including detailed passport information, a formal letter of intent, a full curriculum vitae, and an explicit declaration of receiving no funding from tobacco companies—make it nearly impossible for independent consumer advocacy groups to participate.
While the FCTC cites Article 5.3 (intended to shield policy from tobacco industry interference) to justify such exclusion, critics say the WHO is now misusing this provision to block consumer groups, independent scientists, and harm reduction experts who have no industry ties but simply advocate for safer alternatives. For instance, while other global health forums, such as UN climate summits, welcome thousands of non-governmental organizations as observers, the FCTC has approved just 26 NGOs in two decades. Moreover, it has never granted formal access to consumer advocacy groups representing the very people who smoke or have switched to less harmful nicotine products.
Read the full text here