Global body for alternative opportunities for tobacco growers

Concerned over the violation of rights of tobacco growers, a draft decision of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has urged governments to support economic viable alternative activities for them by engaging all relevant stakeholders.
In the backdrop of tobacco farmers' protest against the "undemocratic" way in which one-sided decisions are being taken at the ongoing global tobacco control conference, the draft decision also urged the international communities to support mobilisation of resources to promote economically viable alternatives for tobacco growers and workers.
The draft decision was proposed by India and Bangladesh and supported by several South East Asian countries, the document said.

India is hosting the Seventh Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) to World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) for the first time.
"The COP7, concerned by the increasing misinformation campaigns and the violations of the rights of the tobacco growers and workers by the tobacco industry and its front groups, decides to urge parties to implement Article 17 (Provision of support for economically viable alternative activities) and Article 18 (Protection of the Environment and the Health of persons)," the draft decision accessed by PTI said.
It also urged the countries to implement the provisions "with a whole of government approach engaging all relevant stakeholder ministries in seeking alternatives to tobacco growing and avoiding tobacco industry interference in programmes meant for welfare and diversification of tobacco growers and workers as appropriate with national context".

The draft decision also urged nations to establish collaborations with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to conduct studies to estimate the environmental effects of tobacco growing and production.

The draft decision also urged nations to coordinate with intergovernmental organisations with relevant expertise such as Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations and others to mobilise support to countries interested in developing pilot projects with an emphasis on whole of the government approach to implement these policies.
"The COP7 further requests the Convention Secretariat to monitor the progress of parties implementation of Article 17 and 18 and to submit to the eight session of COP a progress report on the implementation of the present decision, including experience gathered before the session," the draft decision said.

WHO FCTC sources said that these were draft decisions and the deliberations on them will go on.