Lanka offers to host regional anti-tobacco talks

Sri Lanka has offered to host the consultations of the South-East Asia Regional Group (SEAR) of the World Health Organisation on the Protocol on the illicit trade in Tobacco Products in October 2008.

The offer was made during the First Session of the Inter-governmental Negotiating Body on a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products which concluded in Geneva.

The Conference was attended by delegates from over 150 countries, observers, organisations and NGOs.

Sri Lanka together with the other members of the SEAR actively participated in the deliberations both at the regional consultative meetings as well as the plenary sessions, in respect of the template of the Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products prepared by an expert group appointed by the secretariat of the Convention of Tobacco Control.

During the discussions, Sri Lanka reiterated its position that a protocol of this nature is needed to address the global issue of illicit trade in tobacco products.

Sri Lanka expressed strong objections to the provisions of the template that proposed the issuance of licences for the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products over the internet.

Voicing the concern that particularly children and youth have unsupervised and unlimited access to the internet, over which mail order sales could be effected which was against the provision in National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act, Sri Lanka proposed a total prohibition on internet sales.

Drawing attention to the articles 13 and 15 WHO framework convention on tobacco control, Sri Lanka also pointed out the difficulty of monitoring such sales and jurisdictional issue that may arise.

Sri Lanka stressed that the mere establishment of a legal framework or a protocol would not suffice to address illicit trade in tobacco products. The need to have adequate resources for implementation and capacity building in order to achieve the goals envisaged by the protocol was stressed by the Sri Lankan delegation.

It was also urged that a comprehensive provisions with regard to vibrant mechanism for information sharing, data protection and safeguard, special enforcement technique, technical assistance, and cooperation in scientific and technological matters, legal and administrative assistance as stressed.

These deliberations afforded the Sri Lankan delegation an opportunity to assess comparative legislative measures adopted in the other regions and to share the Sri Lankan experience with them.

At the South-East Asia Regional meeting, Sri Lanka expressed its willingness to host the regional consultations on the first draft of the protocol on the illicit trade in tobacco products later this year.

Dr. Khalilur Rahman, the WHO regional advisor thanked the Sri Lankan delegation for the contribution made throughout the deliberations and in particular, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva for the political commitment demonstrated by his presence throughout the deliberations.