As we aproach the closing ceremony we all may want to start thinking about how COP7 decisions will improve tobacco control work at national level.
Decisions requesting action on resource mobilisation are likely to be considered among the most important of these.
FCA has prepared two documents to illustrate the type of material that Parties could request to be developed between COP7 and COP8 to support resource mobilisation.
Copies of these documents are available at the FCA booth.
REACHING FAR BEYOND HEALTH: THE IMPACT OF TOBACCO CONTROL
This is a prototype (see below) of a brochure to explain to international development agencies – in language that is relevant to their priorities – why providing assistance for FCTC implementation is such an effective and cost-effective investment.
The sidebar of the document includes explanatory notes on the thinking behind the text and references to key UN processes.
The text explains the FCTC in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals with a particular focus on why raising tobacco tax is both an essential intervention for health and a tool to raise revenue that can be used for domestic development priorities.
It also outlines the results of a (hypothetical) list of parties specific needs for assistance with FCTC implementation.
REVIEWING PARTIES’ NEEDS FOR ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE FCTC
This document is a mock report that could be produced for future COP sessions to provide an overview of Parties’ expression of needs for assistance with FCTC implementation.
The format of this mock report is similar to reports routinely prepared by the Secretariats for other treaties to help their Parties understand the scale and type of requests for assistance with treaty implementation.
Seven different “categories” of assistance have been identified and these are defined in the mock report.
In order to collect the data presented in the mock report, a short survey will need to be launched for all Parties to complete (the table adjacent). If such a survey were completed within the three months following COP7, the Secretariat would be able to produce a real report ahead of any financing dialogue it holds with international partners in 2017.
If this one-off survey is found to be useful in identifying Parties’ needs in a way that can easily be presented to potential funders, then Parties could consider the questions being incorporated into the main treaty reporting instrument in due course.
To produce materials of this nature will require a real COP decision this week. Parties should request the Secretariat to undertake this exercise of identifying, analysing and
prioritising implementation needs.
A package of materials that both the Secretariate and Parties can use in 2017 in their discussions with potential donors will go a long way.