Statement: Philip Morris International Annual Shareholders' Meeting, Joby Gelbspan

By Joby Gelbspan

For Immediate Release: May 12, 2010

Contact: Christina Rossi, 617-447-2540

Good morning. My name is Joby Gelbspan and I’m with Corporate Accountability International.
 
The international community is standing strong in its commitment to take on the world’s largest preventable epidemic of our time through the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. On February 26, 2010, the treaty marked the fifth anniversary of its entry into force, celebrating more than 168 Parties steadfast in their determination to rein in the tobacco industry.

PMI and other tobacco corporations continue to undermine its implementation. One tactic PMI often uses are so-called “corporate social responsibility programs” – all in an effort to portray itself as a good corporate citizen.

Parties unanimously adopted guidelines in 2008 that recognize this “corporate social responsibility” as a form of advertising, promotion and sponsorship that society should de-normalize and ban. We see so-called “youth smoking prevention” campaigns by PMI and other tobacco corporations for what they are – the fox guarding the henhouse – a disastrous strategy that ratifying countries are now dedicated to stopping.

In 2008, PMI boasted nearly $25 million in charitable giving. But for 2009, your giving is curiously unavailable. One initiative your 2009 annual report highlights, however, is a Colombian education program sponsored by PMI subsidiary Coltabaco. This program targets young children of indigenous communities, tobacco-growing communities and vulnerable groups. The program is also a joint initiative with Colombia’s government. This is an egregious example of the tobacco industry not only flouting the global tobacco treaty’s guidelines but also seeking to addict another generation of ‘customers.’ PMI’s so-called social responsibility is undermining Colombia’s recently passed comprehensive tobacco control measures that aim to prevent youth smoking.  This is particularly troubling when you consider PMI’s most recent acquisition of Productora Tabacalera de Colombia, Protabaco, which will position PMI even further in the effort to interfere with public health policy and open new markets in the region.

Mr. Camilleri, despite the inclusion of such so-called “corporate social responsibility” schemes by the tobacco industry as countries implement comprehensive ad bans in compliance with the global tobacco treaty, PMI continues its aggressive marketing – both directly and indirectly – to children. Why, this year, has PMI chosen to hide its indirect marketing expenses to kids by not reporting on its charitable giving?
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