The past and future of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC)
Dr Catherine Le Galès-Camus
Assistant Director-General
Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished representatives, colleagues:
I have the honour to welcome you all on this historic occasion, marking over 100 Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The treaty has now been signed and ratified by 110 countries, representing over 70% of the world's population. Congratulations and thanks are due to all countries for their vision and determination to see the treaty through to ratification.
Without a doubt, it is a monumental achievement as the WHO FCTC is only just over 2 years old, and has become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced UN treaties ever.
But this is more than a historic milestone, more than a celebration of a tremendous global achievement.
This moment marks the beginning of a new era: as a result of this achievement we can now say with certainty that a clear majority of countries wants to see a world largely free of tobacco: free of tobacco advertising and promotion, free of tobacco use in public places, free of tobacco sales to minors.
There is a global commitment to act strongly to control the epidemic of tobacco use. This is no longer something we dream of seeing 'in our lifetimes', or 'for our children'. The impact will come soon, and it will be dramatic.
And it cannot be achieved quickly enough for the many lives in peril:
- As a result of tobacco use, 650 million people will eventually die from cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases or other tobacco-related diseases.
- In fact, half the people who smoke today will die from it.
Our recently released report, Preventing Chronic Diseases: a vital investment, placed tobacco use at the forefront of major risk factors, and pointed to its rising use in low and middle income countries as a real and growing threat in the global pandemic of chronic diseases. In fact, current estimates predict 70% of tobacco-related deaths will occur in developing countries by the year 2020.
This treaty will significantly change the course of this alarming trend and of millions of lives. The WHO FCTC will be a cornerstone of achieving the global goal of reducing the rate of deaths due to chronic diseases by 2% by 2015, along with other important initiatives such as the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.
But ratification by countries of the WHO FCTC is just the first important step. Now the real work begins to implement the treaty, its measures and policies.
The next major milestone will be the Conference of the Parties in February, to which these 110 countries will take part, and where the future shape and form of the WHO FCTC and its implementation will be determined. We look forward to that challenge together with the many countries who have ratified as of this week, and the many more that will certainly do in the near future.
But today is an opportunity to celebrate, to recognize the monumental efforts by so many to make the dream a reality, and to look down the road at the work ahead towards the final goal: the lessening of the global burden of tobacco use.
As I introduce today's speakers, I note that they are appropriately representative of the past, future and ongoing efforts towards the success of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Dr. Yumiko Mochizuki is the new director of the Tobacco Free Initiative, having joined WHO and TFI recently from Japan. It is opportune that she is here for this milestone, as she will be guiding the treaty through the Conference of the Parties, and towards implementation. She will speak on that point this afternoon.
From Brazil, we will hear from Mr. Pedro Saldanha from the Brazilian mission, who will share with us a case study on tobacco control from that country.
And we warmly welcome back Dr Vera de Costa Silva, who lead the treaty and TFI through the past three years, and was instrumental in today's achievement. Vera has recently returned to Brazil, but remains active in the field of tobacco control, and was very sorry not to be here for this event, but has recorded her comments.
And now I would like to introduce Dr Douglas Bettcher, a key architect and pilot of the Treaty from its inception to today's milestone. Douglas has led the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Office from TFI, and is currently the interim secretariat of the Treaty. Douglas will elaborate on how we got here, and where we're going.