Strong taxation policies will be vital to the success of
another important COP6 decision that helps clarify the
relationship among the FCTC COP, the global framework for
tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the post2015
Sustainable Development Goals that are currently
being negotiated at the United Nations. As part of global
NCD discussions, the World Health Assembly set a target of
a 30% relative reduction in tobacco use prevalence by 2025
(relative to 2010). At COP6, Parties adopted the 30%
reduction as a COP target, so in essence they decided to
adopt the goal of reducing tobacco use prevalence by 30% by
2025 as their own, which creates the opportunity to have
detailed discussions at future FCTC COP sessions about
progress towards this objective. In short, COP would
become a forum where countries are constantly assessing
whether they are doing enough to reduce tobacco use, and
planning how to achieve ambitious collective targets. This
will also help the world achieve the tobacco and cancer
objectives associated with the Political Declaration of the
2011 High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on
the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable
Diseases. l
Laurent Huber, MS ED is the Exceutive Director of Action on
Smoking and Health in the United States and Director of
Framework Convention Alliance. Fluent in four languages, he has
authored and contributed to numerous publications and serves on
a number of panels and Advisory Boards. Mr Huber has received
the American Lung Association's C Everett Koop Foundation
Award in 2005 and under his leadership, FCA received the
prestigious Luther Terry award in 2006, the Premio SEDET in
2008, and the WHO World No Tobacco Day award in 2011.
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