At the start of COP-9, the head of the FCTC convention secretariat proudly drew a comparison with the other COP, the one going on in Glasgow dealing with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
Perhaps she hoping some of the interest in UNFCCC COP-26 would rub off on the altogether more tawdry FCTC COP-9.
But the tobacco COP takes an aggressive exclusionary and insular approach to stakeholders that would never be tolerated in the climate COP. This post compares the two COPs.
FCTC restricts access and hand-picks observers
As shown in the table below, there is a sharp contrast between the climate COP meetings and tobacco COP meetings. The FCTC tobacco COP has highly restrictive and opaque practices that ensure that it operates as an echo chamber populated by compliant observers.
It chooses so-called “civil society” organisations according to their willingness to support the FCTC and contribute to its implementation.
It excludes many legitimate perspectives: notably consumers, pro-harm reduction public health experts, policy think tanks and critical economists, libertarians, and commercial entities affected by decisions made by COP.
All of this can be done without allowing tobacco companies excessive influence as required by Article 5.3.
Clive Bates – The Counterfactual – 2021-11-08.
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