The Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has warned that the tobacco industry is intensifying efforts to influence and undermine upcoming negotiations at the Conference of the Parties (COP11) and the Meeting of the Parties (MOP3), which are critical to advancing global tobacco control.
According to a statement from the Secretariat, the industry is deploying a range of tactics — from lobbying to manipulating delegations — in a bid to weaken global health measures aimed at reducing tobacco use and its devastating impacts. “This is not just lobbying; it is a deliberate strategy to derail consensus and weaken treaty implementation,” said Andrew Black, Acting Head of the WHO FCTC Secretariat. “Tobacco industry interference remains one of the biggest barriers to global tobacco control. We urge governments and civil society to remain vigilant and to fully enforce protections under Article 5.3 of the Convention.”
The WHO FCTC, the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization, has 183 Parties representing over 90% of the world’s population. It entered into force 20 years ago and remains one of the most widely adopted UN treaties.
The COP11, scheduled for 17–22 November in Geneva, Switzerland, will bring together Parties to review and advance the implementation of the treaty. Discussions will include measures to curb nicotine addiction and protect both human health and the environment.
Following COP11, the Meeting of the Parties (MOP3) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will hold from 24–26 November, focusing on strategies to strengthen the protocol and combat illicit tobacco trade.
The Secretariat highlighted several forms of industry interference, including:
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Political capture: placing sympathetic actors in national delegations to influence negotiations.
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Front groups: using industry-funded organisations disguised as consumer or scientific bodies.
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Manipulated science: promoting misleading studies to challenge tobacco control policies.
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Economic pressure: spreading false claims about jobs, farming, and tax losses.
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Access infiltration: seeking participation or observer status in COP-related events.
These tactics mirror findings from the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, which monitors and reports on the industry’s global influence.
The WHO FCTC Secretariat urged all Parties to:
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Fully enforce Article 5.3 of the treaty to protect policymaking from industry influence.
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Exclude all tobacco industry-linked individuals from COP and MOP delegations.
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Reject industry funding or partnerships.
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Educate all government branches — including non-health ministries — on industry manipulation.
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Use monitoring tools such as the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index to detect and prevent interference.
The Secretariat reiterated that the success of the upcoming COP and MOP meetings depends on the unwavering commitment of all Parties to safeguard public health policies from the vested interests of the tobacco industry.
