Second Conference of the Parties

The Second Conference of the Parties (COP2) marked an important milestone for the global tobacco treaty. More than 145 countries gathered in Bangkok, Thailand in July 2007 to strategize and take action to reverse the tobacco epidemic, and overcome tobacco industry opposition to key policies.

Parties to the treaty exchanged information and made decisions to guide effective implementation of the treaty in areas such as:

• Advertising, promotion and sponsorship
• Illicit trade
• Alternatives to tobacco cultivation
• Funding and financial resources
• Education and public awareness

Corporate Accountability International, along with other members of the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), were in Bangkok organizing to ensure strong implementation and enforcement of the global tobacco treaty. We provided technical assistance to government officials and joined our allies in the Framework Convention Alliance to build support for the strongest policies.

Tobacco industry interference is one of the greatest threats to FCTC implementation. In order to overcome this threat at COP2 we campaigned to ensure that:

• Protocols and guidelines—in areas from illicit trade to advertising, promotion and sponsorship to protection from exposure to tobacco smoke— include specific measures to guard against tobacco industry interference, and reinforce FCTC Article 5.3.

• The COP ensures that Parties follow through with funding commitments, recognize that financial resources are needed to overcome tobacco industry opposition, and insulate funding decisions from tobacco corporations, their subsidiaries and affiliates.

• The COP provides further guidance on specific measures for Parties to protect national health policy from tobacco industry interference, in accordance with FCTC Article 5.3.