Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisations Framework Convention on Tobacco Control clearly sets out the rules of engagement that governments need to abide by in relation to the tobacco industry.
The article was established to ensure that the tobacco industry has no way to penetrate and influence and potentially delay public health polices.
The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that efforts to protect tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry are comprehensive and effective.
Article 5.3 states:
The purpose of the guidelines is to ensure that efforts to protect tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry are comprehensive and effective. Parties should implement measures in all branches of government that may have an interest in, or the capacity to, affect public health policies with respect to tobacco control.
Each country that is a signatory to the WHO FCTChas an obligation to engage with the articles and the guidelines.
In line with these obligation, the CTCA has helped Niger draft a code of conduct for the Intersectoral Committee on Tobacco Control in the country.
The code of conduct clarifies the committee’s mission and principles to deal with tobacco control issues. It defines the behaviour of the intersectoral Committee members and is designed to prevent tobacco industry interference and to ensure they are acting in a lawful manner.
Among the points of reference in the document is that none of the members of the National Tobacco Control Committee collaborate with the tobacco industry. Another rule relates to meetings with the tobacco industry. If, for example, the Minister of Health or one of the NTCC members must meet with the tobacco industry, there are various rules that the code of conduct sets out on how the meeting should be recorded, how it should take place and how it should be reported on, to encourage transparency.
The Code of Conduct is currently being reviewed by the focal point team.