Challenging Big Tobacco worldwide

Reining in tobacco industry interference in health policy

John Stewart, Deputy Campaigns Director
Corporate Accountability International
24 May, 2016

Who We Are
Corporate Accountability
International is a
membership organization
that protects people from
dangerous and
irresponsible corporate
actions around the world.
We wage and win
campaigns to safeguard
public health, human rights
and the environment.

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Overview
o Overview of tobacco industry
tactics
o Case Study: British American
Tobaccos conspiracy of
bribery
o Priorities to rein in Big
Tobaccos political
interference
Photo Credit: World Health Organization

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Tobacco Transnationals
2010 combined revenues of Big Tobacco more than
$200 billion - greater than the combined GDPs of:
Jordan, Panama, Kenya, Cambodia, Mozambique,
Bolivia, Mali, Liechtenstein, Estonia, Ghana, Nicaragua
and Jamaica

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Tobacco Industry Tactics to Undermine

Health
Lobby decision-makers
Draft legislation
Promise self-regulation
or voluntary initiatives
Offer partnerships
with governments
Demand seat at
policymaking table

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Promote so-called
corporate social
responsibility
Hide behind workers,
farmers, front groups
Gain influence through
financial relationships
with governments

Bribery exposed
BAT whistleblower revealed
years of systematic bribery in
Africa

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U.K. authorities considering

investigation
10 Members of U.S. Congress called
for DOJ investigation
Kenyan authorities investigating

Mechanisms to control Big Tobacco

Article 5.3 - Putting a

firewall between the
industry and public
health officials
Includes protecting
the actual treaty
meetings
Article 19 holding
the tobacco legally liable
for its abuses

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Article 5.3 Guidelines

Guiding principle:
Fundamental &
irreconcilable conflict of
interest between the
tobacco industrys interests
and public health policy
2008 adoption

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Prohibited activities:
Partnerships or
agreements
Contributions by
tobacco industry to
governments
Tobacco industrydrafted legislation
Voluntary codes
Investments in the
industry
Representation on
government tobacco
control bodies

Global progress in Article 5.3

implementation

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Article 5.3 expert network

Recommendations to address co-optation of credible
institutions, like UN & international organizations:
1.

Encourage and support UN agencies and intl organizations to

develop policies in line with Article 5.3.
2. Partner with anti-corruption agencies & Transparency
International to promote Art 5.3 principles.
3. Promote Article 5.3 through regional economic integration
organizations.

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Article 5.3 expert network

Recommendations to address
interference at national level:
1.

Parties should advance 5.3 policies for

all of government.
2. Parties should apply 5.3 policies to
diplomatic missions.
3. Parties should require entities to
disclose tobacco industry links when
submitting public consultation.
4. Parties should collaborate with civil
society to monitor and counter the
industry, including industry
associations.
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Article 19: Liability

Article 19 = Untapped
potential to shift costs back
onto tobacco industry
COPs 5 & 6: Expert groups on
liability

COP7: Parties will adopt

toolkit
National level implementation

Article 19 button from

COP6

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Protecting COPs from tobacco industry

interference
At least 11 Parties have sent
tobacco industry reps to
COPs
BBC exposed BAT bribery of at
least one delegate

Public section overrun by

industry
At COP7, Parties will:
Address industry infiltration of
public and delegations
Advance implementation of
Article 5.3 at national level

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Conclusion
The tobacco industry poses the single greatest threat to
the implementation of the FCTCs life-saving measures.
Big Tobacco continues to use aggressive tactics to block,
weaken, and delay tobacco control measures
Parties have two primary tools at their disposal to push
back against industry abuse: Article 5.3 (protecting
health policymaking) and Article 19 (liability)
Top priority for COP7 will be accelerating the
implementation of these two measures

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CONTACT
John Stewart
StopCorporateAbuse.org
10 Milk Street, Suite 610, Boston, MA 02108
+1.617.695.2525
info@stopcorporateabuse.org
Twitter: @jms255

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