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Final Text of Global Tobacco Treaty Important Victory for Global Public Health and Corporate Accountability Developing Countries Lead Way to Ban on Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship in Framework Convention on Tobacco Control FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACTS: Boston--Corporate Accountability activists are hailing the final text of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as a major step forward in the movement to reverse the global tobacco epidemic. The final round of FCTC talks, which ended early Saturday morning, resulted in a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, while making exceptions for countries with constitutional constraints. Although developing countries did not achieve all the gains they were pushing for and certain provisions will need to be strengthened, Infact and members of the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) consider this an important victory for global public health and corporate accountability. "Aggressive promotional tactics like the Marlboro Man have driven the global profits of tobacco transnationals. When adopted and entered into force, this agreement will significantly reduce Philip Morris, BAT, and Japan Tobacco's ability to spread addiction, disease and death around the world. In the face of enormous pressure, developing countries have led the way toward meaningful, effective measures," says Kathryn Mulvey, Executive Director of Infact (US), a NATT member. One of the central issues of the FCTC is how it will interact with international trade and investment agreements. After long debate, countries of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Pacific Islands and Caribbean managed to turn back the forces that wish to subordinate the FCTC to other international agreements. Language included in the preamble gives priority to Parties' right to protect public health, giving interpretive guidance in case of a conflict between health measures and trade agreements. In another important step forward, the text includes measures that will limit the political influence of the tobacco industry. In the face of the economic and political clout of corporations like Philip Morris--with $73 billion in annual revenues--many countries consider these provisions critical to the implementation of the FCTC. One area where the text fell short, is failing to include a clear statement of the tobacco industries responsibility for harms caused by its products. More than 170 countries negotiated the final text. The treaty is scheduled to be adopted in May by the World Health Assembly. NATT members are calling on all countries committed to public health to remain on guard as the FCTC process moves ahead. "The powerful forces that have attempted to obstruct this treaty all along will remain active through this next phase and beyond. In order to assure that the world's first public health treaty is adopted and entered into force, we all must remain vigilant to the ongoing dirty tricks of the tobacco industry and its powerful allies," concludes Mulvey. ### Since 1977, Infact has been exposing life-threatening abuses of transnational corporations and organizing successful grassroots campaigns to hold corporations accountable to consumers and society at large. From the Nestlé Boycott of the 1970s and '80s to the GE Boycott of the 1980s and '90s to today's Boycott of Philip Morris's Kraft Foods, Infact organizes to win! In 2002 Infact was admitted into Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO).
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