STATEMENT BY CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KATHRYN MULVEY AT THE PHILIP MORRIS/ALTRIA ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING - Corporate Accountability International - Challenging Abuse, Protecting People - Think Outside the Bottle


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STATEMENT BY CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KATHRYN MULVEY AT THE PHILIP MORRIS/ALTRIA ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING
April 28, 2005 - East Hanover, NJ

Good morning. My name is Kathryn Mulvey and I am Executive Director of Corporate Accountability International. On February 27, 2005, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) took effect as international law. To date, 63 countries--including France, India and South Africa--have ratified the treaty, and many more ratifications are expected in the coming months.

Mr. Camilleri, you claim that "Philip Morris International and Philip Morris USA have supported the concept of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)." Your annual report states that "PMI supports meaningful and effective tobacco regulation in every country where it does business." Your Corporate Communications Department asserts that "In the United States, Altria Group and PM USA strongly support the passage of comprehensive, meaningful and effective FDA regulation of tobacco products."

Our members are concerned that, while your public relations posture has changed, your actions are not in step with the global community's standards and expectations. A centerpiece of the global tobacco treaty is a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship--including images like Philip Morris/Altria's Marlboro Man.
You have been very clear that Philip Morris/Altria opposes the FCTC's ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and its encouragement of litigation to hold tobacco corporations accountable for the harms they cause. Your positions on tobacco regulation emphasize individual responsibility. In the face of a groundbreaking commitment by the nations of the world to reverse the tobacco epidemic, you seem intent on protecting your market access and prospects for expansion.

How is Philip Morris/Altria attempting to influence the application of this new international legal instrument? Specifically, what measures are you taking in ratifying countries to prevent implementation of those FCTC provisions with which you do not agree?

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As Countries Across Globe Ratify Tobacco Treaty, Big Tobacco is Forced to Change Its Ways