2005 Global Tobacco Treaty Accomplishments

In 2005, along with our NATT allies, we saw major progress and successes with the global tobacco treaty, WHO Framework on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The world's first public health and corporate accountability treaty:

Bans tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, such as the Marlboro Man; Protects public health policy from interference by tobacco corporations; Gives governments the right to prioritize the health of their citizens over trade and commercial interests; and, Establishes important precedents for international regulation of other industries that endanger health, the environment and human rights.

Here is a list of accomplishments that we helped make happen in 2005 with respect to this groundbreaking treaty:

In February 2005, the global tobacco treaty became international law. Corporate Accountability International celebrated this historic milestone by attending a ceremony in Geneva honoring those countries that ratified while bolstering momentum for ratification in countries that had not yet ratified--including the U.S. Domestically we organized activists to challenge the Bush Administration through emails and phone calls. We even took the challenge directly to the White House.

In January, Corporate Accountability International was joined by NATT members at the World Social Forum where we campaigned for Brazil, an important leader in its region, to ratify the treaty. In May, we joined with a coalition of NATT members on a 2-week tour of Latin American countries, including Brazil, where we met with top-level officials, urging them to ratify the global tobacco treaty. Brazil ratified on November 3, 2005.

In April, we directly challenged top Philip Morris/Altria executives at the corporation's annual shareholders' meeting for the 12th year running. With allies from around the world, we pressured top decision-makers to stop interfering with the global tobacco treaty and garnered national media attention exposing the corporation's irresponsible and dangerous actions.

We produced the Global Tobacco Treaty Action Guide by gathering stories of tobacco industry interference and its abuses surrounding the global tobacco treaty from allies around the world. The Action Guide, released during our 7th International Weeks of Resistance to Tobacco Transnationals (IWR) was downloaded over 2000 times on our website and used in countries around the world, including in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

In September and October, Corporate Accountability International once again hit the road to join allies around the world in waging ratification campaigns in their countries. This time our destination was Africa, where we met with NGO and government leaders in Botswana, Uganda and Zambia while coordinating actions and solidarity events in other countries across Africa. Shortly after this burst of campaign activity, 10 more African countries ratified the global tobacco treaty, including Namibia, Nigeria and Togo.

November 8, 2005 marked the deadline for countries to ratify the global tobacco treaty in order to vote at the treaty's first enforcement and implementation meeting. Due to the work of health and corporate accountability advocates across the globe, 113 countries ratified in time to have a vote at this meeting.

The November 8th deadline also gave us yet another opportunity to pressure the U.S. to ratify this life-saving treaty. We garnered national and international media coverage about the treaty and the U.S.'s failure to ratify to date including the Christian Science Monitor, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and National Public Radio (NPR).

Thank you and congratulations to our supportive members, our brave allies, our strong government leaders and everyone else around the world who contributed to making this treaty a reality! Together we will continue to advance this life-saving treaty in the year to come.

July 2005 - People's Health Assembly - Cuenca, Ecuador

In Cuenca, Ecuador, over 1,000 people from 80 countries gathered for the 2nd People's Health Assembly to strategize and to take action to challenge corporate actions that harm people's health around the world and to urge governments to prioritize health over profit. Corporate Accountability International's Latin America Coordinator, Yul Francisco Dorado, participated in the 5-day meeting, building support for campaigns pressuring countries to ratify the global tobacco treaty. Yul joined allies in advancing the global tobacco treaty as a critical tool to reverse the tobacco epidemic and change the way Big Tobacco operates around the world.

The People's Health Assembly coincided with the global release of the Global Health Watch, an alternative world health report that articulates civil society's vision for global health. Corporate Accountability International's Executive Director, Kathryn Mulvey and Akinbode Oluwafemi of Environmental Rights Action Nigeria co-authored a section of the Global Health Watch report focusing on international regulation of corporations and the groundbreaking global tobacco treaty.

Over 70 countries have ratified the global tobacco treaty, which took effect in February 2005. Momentum is building for dozens more countries to ratify by early November, so that they may participate in the first Conference of the Parties.

Click here to read the Global Health Watch chapter on Big Business and the FCTC [or to access the full report online, visit www.ghwatch.org.]

For a complete update and to take action on the global tobacco treaty, click here.

April 28, 2005 - Philip Morris/Altria at Annual Shareholders' Meeting

On April 28th, we joined with our allies and sent a clear message to Philip Morris/Altria's top decisionmakers that there is building resistance to the corporation's abusive practices and its interference in public health policy. This was the first Philip Morris/Altria meeting since the global tobacco treaty took effect and the 12th meeting that Corporate Accountability International has attended! 
 
Because of your support, we ensured that people from across the US and around the world were able to demonstrate that the movement for ratification and implementation of the global tobacco treaty continues to grow.  Sixty-four countries have already ratified the treaty, signaling that it is no longer business as usual for Big Tobacco!

Click the links below for more information:

As Countries Across Globe Ratify Tobacco Treaty, Big Tobacco is Forced to Change Its Ways
Pressure Builds on Philip Morris/Altria at Annual Shareholders' Meeting
April 28, 2005

Statements presented at the Philip Morris/Altria Annual Shareholders' Meeting:

• Statement by Corporate Accountability International Executive Director, Kathryn Mulvey
•  
Statement on behalf of African consumer, health and environmental rights organizations

February 2005 - Global Tobacco Treaty Enters into Force: Activists urge the Bush Administration to support this groundbreaking treaty

As the world's first public health and corporate accountability treaty entered into force on February 28, 2005, Corporate Accountability International activists gathered at the White House to directly challenge the Bush Administration's role in the treaty process. Activists marched in front of the White House to urge President Bush to submit the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to the Senate for ratification. Once the treaty entered into force, it became binding international law for the countries who have already ratified the treaty. Click here to find out how you can get involved!

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