Conference of the Parties to the Who Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
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FCTC/COP/8/VR CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL Eighth session GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 1–6 OCTOBER 2018 VERBATIM RECORDS OF PLENARY MEETINGS GENEVA 2019 FCTC/COP/8/VR CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL Eighth session GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 1–6 OCTOBER 2018 VERBATIM RECORDS OF PLENARY MEETINGS GENEVA 2019 4 EIGHTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES PREFACE The Eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 01 to 06 October 2018. The report of proceedings (containing the decisions) was adopted by the COP at the end of the session, and is available at http://www.who.int/fctc/publications. In addition, the verbatim records of plenary meetings are issued in the current volume (FCTC/COP/8/VR). The documentation, including the list of participants, is also available at https://www.who.int/fctc/cop/sessions/cop8/documentation/en/. _______________ VERBATIM RECORDS 5 Contents FIRST PLENARY MEETING ............................................................................................................................. 6 1. OPENING OF THE SESSION (item 1) ......................................................................... 6 2. OPENING REMARKS BY DR TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ................. 7 3. OPENING REMARKS DELIVERED, ON BEHALF OF MR MICHAEL MØELLER, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE IN GENEVA, MR CHIKVAIDZE ...................................................................................... 8 4. OPENING REMARKS BY DR DA COSTA E SILVA, HEAD OF THE CONVENTION SECRETARIAT .................................................................................. 9 5. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AND ORGANIZATION OF WORK (ITEM 1.1) 11 6. KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE HEAD OF THE CONVENTION SECRETARIAT (Item 1.3.) ..................................................................................................................... 29 7. INVITED SPEAKER (ITEM 3): .................................................................................. 32 7.a MINISTER GRACE MARÍA FERNANDES MENDONÇA, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF BRAZIL .............................................................................................. 32 7.b. ANNE BUCHER, DIRECTOR GENERAL, HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION .......................................................................................... 35 CONTINUATION ................................................................................................................ 38 SECOND PLENARY MEETING ...................................................................................................................... 39 8. HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT (ITEM 4) .......................................................................... 39 DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH, GHANA ................................................................... 39 STATE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, WELFARE AND SPORT, THE NETHERLANDS 41 DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) – DR SOUMYA SWAMINATHAN ..................................................................................... 42 9. CREDENTIALS OF PARTICIPANTS (ITEM 1.2) .................................................... 52 10. APPLICATION FOR OBSERVER STATUS (ITEM 2) ............................................. 53 11. GLOBAL PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE WHO FCTC, FOLLOWED BY A GENERAL DEBATE (ITEM 5) ................................................. 54 THIRD PLENARY MEETING ......................................................................................................................... 74 12. CREDENTIALS ........................................................................................................... 96 FIFTH PLENARY .............................................................................................................................................. 98 13. ADOPTION .................................................................................................................. 98 VERBATIM RECORDS OF PLENARY MEETINGS FIRST PLENARY MEETING Monday, 1 October 2018, at 10:00 President: Ms Preeti Sudan (India) 1. OPENING OF THE SESSION (item 1) THE PRESIDENT: Good morning to all of you. Dr Tedros, the Director-General of WHO; Mr Michael Møller, Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva; Excellencies; Distinguished Delegates; Floor Members of Countries; Officials of WHO and other organizations; observers to the COP; able Head of the Secretariat Dr Vera Luiza and her team; ladies and gentlemen: I extend a very warm welcome to each one of you here who have travelled from across the globe to attend the COP8 [Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties]. I’d like to thank the Conference of Parties [COP], especially the COP Bureau Members for reposing their faith in me as the COP Conference President. Guided by the experienced Bureau Members, some of whom have immense institutional memories, as old as the FCTC itself. During the intersessional period we had three Bureau meetings, and several discussions over email and otherwise. With the help of the FCTC Secretariat, we are now in the opening session of the COP8, and, I hope through the various agendas listed for the next six days. We have a heavy agenda, more than 22 items, we shall be able to discuss many important issues pertaining to global tobacco control. As you may recall, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [WHO FCTC] was developed in response to the global tobacco epidemic and is one of the strongest tools to reverse the tide of this epidemic to prevent disease and premature mortality. It is one of the most rapidly embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations, and currently there are 181 parties to it, covering 90% of the global population. This COP meeting is very historic, ladies and gentlemen, it is going to be followed by the first MOP [Meeting of the Parties] meeting, and this heralds a new era in the implementation of Article 15 of the FCTC. [applause]…This reiterates the fact that there is no issue or agenda above healthy life, and prevention of disease and premature death. Global leaders have confirmed that tobacco control lies at the heart of prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases [NCDs] at the recently concluded High-level Meeting of UN General Assembly in New York, and the FCTC and its COP are one of the keys to the tobacco-free healthy world as are high political support of the delegations of Parties for successful and fruitful COP and delegations here in Geneva. Thank you. May I now request to have the UN Secretary-General’s statement read out? So I have been asked to read it out. It’s an honour for me to read a written statement by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Antonio Guterres. I am pleased to greet the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. With seven VERBATIM RECORDS 7 million dying annually due to tobacco, this treaty is central to improving global health. It is also essential for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal [SDG] 3, which calls on us to ensure healthy lives, and promote well-being for all. Significant achievements have been made in implementing the Convention. The new Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products has also advanced tobacco control globally. But tobacco use harms much more than our health. It contributes to climate change and deforestation, and to human right abuses across the supply chain. The Convention Framework provides tools to tackle these problems, contributing to sustainable development more broadly. Our work requires a holistic approach that goes beyond health and embraces all areas in which tobacco has an impact. Let us recommit to unite forces, and to strengthen cooperation to implement the Convention and the Sustainable Development Goals. I wish you fruitful deliberations leading to more advances in the fight against the tobacco epidemic. Now it’s my great pleasure to give the floor to Dr Tedros, Director-General of the World Health Organization [WHO], to address the audience. Dr Tedros, you have the floor. 2. OPENING REMARKS BY DR TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION Good morning, Madam President Preeti Sudan; Dr Vera Luiza Da Costa e Silva; and my friend David Chikvaidze, to represent the UN Director-General in Geneva; colleagues; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen: It’s an honour to be here for my first COP, and to see the commitment of so many of you to making the world tobacco free. There is no other way to say it. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is one of greatest public health achievements of the past 20 years. More than 13 years since it came into force, it remains one of the world’s most powerful tools for health. Together, we have made great progress. We have saved lives. The implementation of the FCTC is improving. More than 60% of the world’s population is now covered by one or more of the six MPOWER strategies – four times more than in 2007. In recent years, several countries including Kenya and Uganda have passed comprehensive tobacco control laws. Gabon and Gambia have increased tobacco taxes. India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand have introduced large graphic health warnings. Many countries have banned smoking in public places. From Afghanistan to Cambodia and El Salvador, and several cities in China