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U.S. to Miss Major Deadline, on Sidelines of First Global Health Treaty Bush Administration Fails to Act in Time to Secure Vote at Critical Upcoming Meeting on Global Tobacco Treaty For Immediate Release: Contacts: Washington, D.C.--Tomorrow the US government will miss a major international deadline, failing to ratify the global tobacco treaty in time to vote at the first implementation and enforcement meeting early next year. The treaty, formally known as the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), will save millions of lives and change the way tobacco corporations operate around the world. 100 countries have already ratified. Throughout negotiations on the treaty, the US faced sharp criticism for attempting to weaken treaty provisions in ways that would benefit tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria. "Our government is prioritizing Big Tobacco's profits over people's lives and international cooperation," says Corporate Accountability International Executive Director Kathryn Mulvey. "The Bush Administration is passing on one of the most pressing public health and corporate accountability agreements of our time." The Bush Administration signed the global tobacco treaty with great fanfare nearly a year and a half ago, but has not yet submitted it to the Senate for ratification. Other treaties the US has signed and not ratified include: the Convention on Rights of the Child, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Despite the Bush Administration's lack of action, the WHO FCTC has proven to be one of the most quickly embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations. More than four billion people live in countries that have ratified--including Brazil, China, France, India, Norway and South Africa--encompassing over 70% of the world's population. "The treaty bans some of the tobacco industry's most effective and insidious tactics for addicting new customers," explains Mulvey. "As the treaty is implemented, tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria will find it much harder to push their dangerous products on children or manipulate public health policies." Nearly five million people die every year from tobacco-related illnesses, an epidemic driven by transnational tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International. If current trends continue, the death toll from tobacco will rise to 10 million people per year by 2030, with 70 percent of deaths occurring in countries of the Global South. # # # Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations--like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria--to stop abusive actions. Corporate Accountability International, an NGO in Official Relations with the World Health Organization, played a key role in development of the global tobacco treaty--formally known as the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) includes more than 100 NGOs from over 50 countries working for a strong, enforceable global tobacco treaty. For more information visit www.stopcorporateabuse.org.
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