Delegates from about 180 countries will attend the Nov. 7-12 World
Health Organization (WHO) conference on the sole global anti-tobacco
treaty: the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). In force
since 2005, the treaty aims to deter tobacco use that kills around 6
million people a year.
The industry in India, the world's third-biggest tobacco producer,
wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to soften its stance
on what it says are tough FCTC measures that threaten livelihoods
among the estimated 46 million people linked to the sector.
In documents obtained by a Reuters reporter under India's Right to
Information law, industry and farmer groups wrote to officials
across government asking to attend the WHO FCTC conference and be
part of India's delegation, in an effort to protect their interests.
Global tobacco firms have criticized the biennial event for not
being transparent, in part because proceedings have in the past not
been open to the public, including industry representatives.
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The tussle comes at a time when the Indian industry is smarting from
measures imposed this year forcing companies to print bigger health
warnings on tobacco products.
A tobacco farmers' group this month questioned the legality of India
implementing the FCTC treaty, and asked the Delhi High Court to
compel the government to allow farmers to attend the WHO FCTC
conference. A judge last week asked the government to "consider" the
plea, but did not rule on the other requests.
"If we take them in the delegation, the government of India may feel
embarrassed," said one health ministry official, who didn't want to
be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. "We will not act
on these (lobbying documents)".
Around 1,000 tobacco farmers staged silent protests on Thursday
outside the federal health ministry and the WHO regional office,
both in New Delhi, appealing to the government to boycott the
conference.
The WHO FCTC Convention Secretariat in Geneva told Reuters it
welcomes India's decision, saying its guidelines state that no
country should have delegation members linked to the tobacco
industry.
Conference decisions on treaty provisions - designed for eventual
implementation at national level by signatories - have a direct
bearing on the global tobacco industry that Euromonitor
International estimates is worth $784 billion this year.
Topics for debate at the WHO FCTC conference include alternative
livelihoods for tobacco farmers, e-cigarettes and trade and
investment issues.
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LETTERS, SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS
The nation's main cigarette industry body, the Tobacco Institute of
India (TII), and farmer groups wrote to the agriculture ministry
demanding to have their views represented and to be allowed into the
WHO FCTC conference.
In a Sept. 28 letter, the TII said "there is no obligation on any
signatory to the FCTC to comply with or implement any provision of
the FCTC". The WHO, however, says the treaty is legally binding on
its member countries.
The ministry also received a near-6,000-page petition signed by more
than 100,000 farmers seeking protection from FCTC rules.
The TII - which represents cigarette makers including ITC, which is
part-owned by British American Tobacco; and Godfrey Phillips, the
local partner of Philip Morris International - also sent the health
ministry a 'handbook' detailing how FCTC proposals are a threat to
farmers' livelihoods.
It asked the government to ensure that "unreasonable and
impractical" proposals are not adopted at the WHO FCTC conference.
The TII did not respond to Reuters queries on the make-up of the
Indian delegation or the legality of the FCTC.
In another letter, a group representing traditional Indian cigarette
makers urged Modi to ensure the health ministry does not make any
anti-tobacco commitments before or after the conference, fearing the
potential impact on those tied to the industry.
The health ministry official said the government would consider
farmers' views, but there was "no soft corner for the industry".
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Smoking kills more than 1 million people a year in India, BMJ Global
Health estimates. The WHO says tobacco-related diseases cost the
country $16 billion annually.
(Reporting by Aditya Kalra, Editing by Tom Lasseter and Ian
Geoghegan)
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