Dear all, 
  
Today’s CoP sessions have now concluded.  Please find below a brief summary of key developments, 
CoP related media coverage and items on tomorrow’s agenda. 
  
Attendance: 
  
According to the FCTC’s Provisional List of Participants, 133 delegations registered for CoP6.  Of these 
133 delegations, 49 include officials from Ministries other than Health.  One of every five delegations 
include at least one Ministry of Finance or Tax administration official, 13 include Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, 17 include Ministry of Agriculture and 11 include representatives from Ministries of Industry and 
Trade. 
  
Opening ceremony & first plenary session: 
  
In addition to opening speeches by WHO Director General, Margaret Chan, and the head of the FCTC 
Secretariat, Russia’s Minister of Health also addressed the opening of the CoP.   
  
1.                 “Observer status” applications: 
  
INTERPOL’s application for “observer status” to the CoP was rejected.  Countries that were most vocal in 
opposing the application included the EU, Kenya (on behalf of AFRO), Oman (on behalf of EMRO), 
Maldives (on behalf of SEARO), Panama and Costa Rica.   Concerns expressed were primarily focused 
on INTERPOL’s relationship with PMI and the application of 5.3.  No Party spoke in support of granting 
the application.   
  
The World Farmers Organization (WFO) application for “observer status” was also rejected, primarily 
based on concerns they might act as a Trojan horse for the tobacco industry and on their lack of a record 
supporting tobacco control.  Parties most vocally opposing the WFO application included Uganda, Kenya 
and India.  As with the INTERPOL application, no Party spoke in support of granting the WFO “observer 
status”.   
  
The applications by Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids were 
approved while that of the East African Community (EAC) was deferred.  In the case of the EAC, some 
Parties expressed concerns they may be a proxy for the interests of the industry and suggested that the 
organization required further education on tobacco control issues.   
  
2.                 Decision to exclude members of the public: 
  
Following the conclusion of the review of “observer status” applications, the Parties debated a proposal 
by Australia to immediately implement a screening procedure for issuance of badges to members of the 
public.  Under the proposed approach, which is meant to serve as a stop-gap measure until proposals to 
change the CoP Rules of Procedure are discussed later this week in Committee B, those applying for 
badges to the public gallery would, as a condition of attendance, be required to sign a declaration that 
neither they nor the organizations they represent are affiliated with the tobacco industry.  A number of 

 Parties raised concerns that it would be impossible to ensure the veracity of such declarations and 
advocated that all members of the pubic be excluded for the remainder of CoP6.  This position was 
supported by Panama, Kenya, the EU, Costa Rica, Brazil and South Africa, among others.  No objections 
were raised and members of the public in attendance were asked to leave.  However, unlike what 
transpired during CoP5, the media have thus far been allowed to continue their attendance. 
   
Afternoon plenary: 
  
The entirety of today’s afternoon plenary was spent on an address by the Head of the Convention 
Secretariat regarding global progress and implementation of the FCTC, followed by a debate on the 
same topic in which key challenges to implementation were highlighted (trade and tobacco industry 
interference).  Of note, the Head of the Secretariat indicated their priority was to strengthen 5.3 and 
that they were seeking a “remarkable outcome” on the topic.  
  
Media coverage: 
  
Please find a media summary with excerpts and links to articles attached. 
  
Items on tomorrow’s agenda: 
  
The schedule is fluid but tomorrow’s agenda currently includes the following issues:  
  
A number of Parties did not have an opportunity to speak during the debate on implementation so 
tomorrow’s session will begin with a continuation of the debate in the morning Plenary.  At 11:00, 
Parties are expected to move from Plenary to Committees A and B, where substantive issues are 
debated. 
1.       Committee A: 
  
Committee A will commence with a discussion on the Status of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in 
Tobacco Products.  Discussions on Guidelines for the implementation of Article 6 are also scheduled to 
commence.  Time permitting, discussions might also begin on the Implementation of Article 19: report 
by the expert group and Smokeless tobacco products. 
  
2.       Committee B: 
  
Committee B will commence with a discussion of Reporting Arrangements under the FCTC, followed by a 
discussion on International Cooperation for the Implementation of the FCTC and Sustainable measures to 
strengthen implementation of the FCTC: report by the working group.  Time permitting, discussions may 
also commence on Trade and Investment Issues.   
  
Dirty Ashtray Award: 
  
Today the Framework Convention Alliance awarded a dirty ashtray to the 
 
 for “cooperating with tobacco front group 
 
 to try and prevent adoption of strong Article 6 guidelines”.