For two consecutive years we shut out tobacco corporations from international policy talks to prevent interference and ensure lifesaving regulations.
Since the start of the World Health Organization’s global tobacco treaty talks, Big Tobacco has been vying for a seat at the decision-making table. But by building the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), a coalition in more than 50 countries, and organizing champion governments during the treaty meetings we’ve been able check its influence. By barring tobacco representatives from these talks, strong policies that protect lives are able to advance quicker.
Our long history of calling out industry interference in these talks and successfully advancing the treaty is paying off. For instance, WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan comes out strong to call out what she sees. “As implementation of the Framework Convention [the global tobacco treaty] reaches new heights, the tobacco industry fights back, harder and through every possible channel, no matter how devious those channels and practices are,” she says. Knowing that Big Tobacco will not quit, we will continue to work toward a policy that shuts the industry out of treaty talks for good.
