However, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) on a Protocol on Illicit Trade fourth and last session ended without final agreement, but Parties did make some significant progress.
Since this was the last meeting of the INB, there was a lot of pressure on Parties to reach agreement. For the first time, there were extensive informal negotiations between regional blocs, which led to some last-minute consensus language on some provisions, notably on tracking and tracing. However, there remains a lot of work to do. Some articles were not examined at all and there remain several controversial issues that have yet to be resolved.
However, parties did agree on several important provisions to control the supply chain of tobacco products, including a tracking and tracing system for cigarettes and other products as well as a licensing system for manufacturers and others involved in the tobacco trade.
The outcomes from this INB will be reported to the next Conference of Parties (COP) to the parent treaty for the protocol, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in Punta del Este, Uruguay in November 2010. This will include a draft text of the Protocol, representing the state of negotiations so far. The COP will make a decision as to how and when to complete the protocol.
Kambes Kesolei, who chairs the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Palau, attended the meeting as one of the over 100 representatives on scholarship from the Framework Convention Alliance (an alliance of over 350 NGOs) to advocate for stronger international policy framework for tobacco control. He said that Palau, which is a Party to the FCTC, was one of the few Pacific Island countries that didn’t have an official delegate to take part in the negotiations. “Palau should be taking part in this negotiation. FCTC is an evidence-based treaty and research shows that tobacco use if not controlled will have a clear-cut impact on development as a nation. It has destructive effects on the social, health, and economic well being of the nation,” said Mr. Kesolei
Mr Laurent Huber, FCA Director said “we look forward to continuing to work with governments until they can agree to an effective tool to curb the illicit trade of tobacco products, a global curse that robs governments of uncollected tax revenues, promotes the consumption of tobacco products which in turn leads to premature death and disease.”
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