Consumers International
Head Office 24, Highbury Cresent
London, N5 1RX, United Kingdom. Tel. No.:
+44 207 226 6663 Fax No.: +44 207 354 0607
Email: consint@consint.org,
Website: www.consumersinternational.org
Statement on Behalf of Consumers International By Bejon Misra
(India) at the Intergovernmental Working Group Meeting on FCTC at
Geneva on 21-25 June 2004.
I
speak on behalf of Consumers International, an international
organization of more than 250 members in 120 countries
with 70% membership from developing or least developed
countries. Our delegations are members of The Network
for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) and
Framework Convention Alliance (FCA). Let me on behalf
of CI thank The Chair and WHO for giving me this opportunity
to speak. CI salutes the 21 Member States that have demonstrated
their commitment towards consumers by ratifying FCTC.
We urge the all those countries that have signed but not
ratified the FCTC to ratify on or before 29th
June 2004 and save millions of lives.
As
representatives of consumers and, especially the poor
and disadvantaged, we have an obligation to ensure that
their voice on the threat that the tobacco industry represents
to their lives is loud and clear. We are accountable to them. We need to go back home with clear tangible
results as they will definitely ask us what have we done
for our children and future generations who are the biggest
targets of the tobacco industry and in particular the
2 billion people who are living below 1 US$ a day income.
Yesterday, I heard several studies conducted by
WHO in developing countries, which have reinforced a direct
link between poverty and tobacco. Let us not waste our
scarce resources and time and delay the process of the
FCTC ratification and implementation. I, on behalf of
CI, once again urge those countries that have not ratified
to please do so by 29th June and bring the
first health treaty to force, to protect the rights of
the consumers. The
FCTC is a reality. What we all need to do in the next
few days is to make sure that we all agree on the implementation
of the following:
1.
The draft rules of procedure
for the Conference of Parties must be amended to prevent
commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry
from undermining FCTC implementation. Consistent with
the treaty and WHO precedents, Rule 30 on participation
of observers should explicitly exclude organizations affiliated
with tobacco industry.
2.
The rules should also
ensure that we create such a secretariat that it is insulated
from bureaucratic processes and influence from wealthy
countries. The secretariat should be able to function
independently with full funding and total autonomy. Professionals
of high caliber should also manage the secretariat with
competence on the subject and people with track record
with pro-poor attitude. The secretariat must be made accountable
towards the MDGs and it must be empowered to take decisions,
which are best for public health and the FCTC.
3.
The funding mechanism
suggested should be only from resources generated from
taxes collected from tobacco products and our appeal to
all member states is to make sure we create such a mechanism
that we adopt the Polluters Pay Principle. All those countries
that have enriched themselves from tobacco sales should
be made liable to fund the implementation of FCTC. Corporations
that have profited enormously from the tobacco epidemic
should be obligated to contribute funds to help cover
tobacco-related health costs and the implementation of
the FCTC. We all must make sure that countries that are
not parties to the FCTC should not be allowed to play
any role concerning the funding mechanism. We have observed
that taxes on tobacco products around the world are still
not high enough to reduce consumption and there is sufficient
scope to increase taxes on tobacco products further to
fund FCTC implementation.
The CI
delegation is confident, Mr. Ambassador that once again,
you would provide the same leadership, which you demonstrated
during the negotiations and prevail upon all member states
to draft a pro-consumer Rules of Procedure for the Conference
of Parties. THANK YOU.
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Consumers International Head Office 24, Highbury Cresent
London, N5 1RX, United Kingdom. Tel. No.:
+44 207 226 6663 Fax No.: +44 207 354 0607
Email: consint@consint.org,
Website: www.consumersinternational.org
INTERVENCION
DE YUL FRANCISCO DORADO EN REPRESENTACION DE
CONSUMERS INTERNATIONAL, OFICINA PARA AMERICA
LATINA Y EL CARIBE.
Saludos
senor Presidente, senoras y senores delegados del Grupo
Intergubernamental de Trabajo:La
Oficina para America Latina y el Caribe de CONSUMERS
INTERNATIONAL, organizacion que trabaja por la defensa
y promocion de los derechos del consumidor; quiere resaltar
el amplio reconocimiento que el CONVENIO MARCO PARA
EL CONTROL DEL TABACO realiza a las Organizaciones
No Gubernamentales al destacar su "contribucion
especial" en las actividades de control y lo decisiva
que ha sido su participacion para la aprobacion del convenio.
Este
reconocimiento y la ligitimidad de miles de organizaciones
que con su trabajo luchan contra el tabaco como causa
creciente de muerte y enfermedades en el mundo, me
permite solicitar al Grupo Intergubernamental de Trabajo, a
nombre de CONSUMERS INTERNATIONAL, que al definir las
reglas de procedimiento para la conferencia de las partes,
se asegure la participacion de las organizaciones no gubernamentales
en la implementacion del CONVENIO MARCO PARA EL CONTROL
DEL TABACO, excluyendo expresamente, desde luego, aquellas
afiliadas o vinculadas a la industria tabacalera. Con
esto se evita que las tabacaleras intenten socavar o desvirtuar
las actividades de control, como ya lo han pretendido
hacer, no solo creando ONGs, sino tambien acudiendo a
estrategias de filantropia y marketing.
La
decision de participacion de las ONGs de ninguna manera
puede quedar supeditada a la invitacion del secretariado,
como se propone en la regla 30 del proyecto de reglamento,
como tampoco se debe supeditar su acceso a la aprobacion
de las partes o a la cancelacion de cuotas. No nos podemos
olvidar que el alticulo 4 No. 7 del Convenio establece
que la participacion de la sociedad civil es esencial,
repito esencial, para conseguir el objetivo del Convenio
y de sus protocolos.
La
participacion que ya nos otorga el Convenio Marco, es
un derecho que debe quedar consagrado en las reglas de
procedimiento, como observadores, con acceso a documentos
oficiales y agendas provisionales de la Conferencia de
las Partes y organos subsidiarios. Ademas y para una efectiva
participacion debe consagrarse que las reuniones sean
publicas, consecuentes como somos con el caracter
publico de la salud. Proteger lo publico, senoras
delegadas y delegados, es proteger el interes general
y dar transparencia a los procedimientos.
Finalmente
nuestro llamado a todos los paises del continente americano
para que se proceda rapidamente a la ratificacion del
Convenio Marco siguiendo el ejemplo de mexico y a
que las reglas que se aprueben garanticen en terminos
tecnicos y financieros su rapida implementacion, definendo
intrumentos extraordinarios de apoyo y coordinacion,
ampliamente equitativos, para los paises que hoy acreditan
elevados indices de pobreza, como son la mayoria de la
region.
GRACIAS.
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INTERVENTION BY YUL FRANCISCO DORADO MAZORRA IN
REPRESENTATION OF CONSUMERS INTERNATIONAL, OFFICE
OF THE LATINAMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Esteemed
Delegates to the Intergovernmental Working Group,
CONSUMERS INTERNATIONAL
OFFICE OF THE LATINAMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN,working
for the defense and promotion of consumer rights,
and speaking in the interests of civil society,
I would like to stress the broad recognition that
the Framework Convention gives to civil society
in noting the "special contribution"
of non-governmental organizations to tobacco control
and the decisive contribution that participation
by NGOs has made to the adoption of the convention.
This recognition, and the legitimacy
of the thousands of organizations that fight of
tobacco as a growing cause of death worldwide,
allows us to request, on behalf of consumers everywhere,
that you guarantee this continued participation
by NGOs as you define the draft rules of procedure
for the Conference of the Parties to implement
the FCTC. These rules must also explicitly exclude
participation by the tobacco industry and its
affiliates, and thus head off any attempts to
undermine efforts to control tobacco, as has been
the industry practice.
The participation of NGOs not
affiliated with the tobacco industry should
not be left to the criteria of the Secretariat,
as stated in rule 30, nor should access
be limited by mechanisms such as fees or
prior approval of inputs.
The participation as observers
that the FCTC gives NGOs is a right that must
be reflected in the rules of procedure, by assuring
access to the official documents and provisional
agendas for the Conference of the Parties and
its subsidiary bodies.
Thank you.
- YUL FRANCISCO DORADO MAZORRA
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