WSMI and the WHO FCTC COP
March 2010

Responding to a request of the Convention Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), WSMI confirmed our intention to retain observer status to the Conference Of the Parties - COP (the COP is the governing body of the WHO FCTC and comprises all parties in the convention). The letter addressed to the Head of the Convention Secretariat earlier this month highlighted WSMI's many areas of work in support of the convention. WSMI members manufacture and distribute nonprescription medicines, including Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), an important component of many countries' tobacco treatment programmes. WSMI members support the availability of proven safe and effective treatments for tobacco dependence, thereby increasing the number of smokers who successfully quit smoking. WSMI supports smoking cessation at the global level and promotes international visibility for FCTC developments. More broadly, WSMI's areas of work with WHO encompass disease prevention and health promotion, both areas linking strongly to disease risk reduction through smoking cessation.

Useful link:
[2009 Summary Report on global progress in implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control]