The World Health Organisation is urging its members to classify “harm reduction” as a tobacco industry narrative, despite the concept being classified as a tobacco control strategy in its own treaty.
A draft agenda for the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco control, seen by Clearing the Air and available here, call for a discussion on protecting “measures to prevent and reduce tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction and exposure to tobacco smoke…in light of the tobacco industry’s narrative on “harm reduction”.
But the Framework convention itself – a two decade old international treaty on tobacco control – defines harm reduction as a “tobacco control” strategy. This means the convention Secretariat – which wrote the agenda and is supposed to be the “guardian” of that treaty – appears to be actively working to undermine its key provisions.
In other words, the WHO is now trying to undermine what its own legal structure says is a key part of its reason for existing.
All this comes despite growing numbers of WHO Member States embracing harm reduction policies.
Despite the Secretariat’s framing, many countries at the last WHO conference on tobacco control (COP 10) made clear they wanted to see more harm reduction.
For example, New Zealand called for “evidence-based harm reduction measures,” including regulated vaping products. The Philippines: highlighted a “balanced approach” and the need for a regulatory framework. And Caribbean island nation Saint Kitts and Nevis wanted a Working Group on tobacco harm reduction, highlighting its value in other public health domains.
The 11th Convention of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP 11) will take place from 17-24 November. The meeting will be held at the WHO’s Geneva HQ after Panama’s disastrous hosting of last year’s COP 10. The meeting was delayed for months after social unrest in the country, and the organisation of the meeting itself was riddled with corruption allegations.
And this year’s meeting has already been plagued with scandal. Saima Wazed, who is currently the WHO’s Regional Director for South-East Asia is wanted for fraud, forgery, and abuse of power, all tied to her campaign for her WHO role.
