All Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (ITP) will need to establish a national tracking and tracing (T&T) system. That system needs to be linked into a global T&T regime within the next 5 years. The system may be adapted to national requirements but needs to be able to monitor and verify the authenticity of manufactured or imported tobacco products in its territory. Clear global standards are yet to be agreed upon.
What are the essential minimum requirements?
- A system that is unique, secure and unpredictable and not under the control or influence of the tobacco industry
- Recording of national information on secure servers, not operated by the tobacco industry and with access by the industry strictly limited and controlled
- Persons authorised by Parties, and independent from the tobacco industry, to have access to information about the international supply chain of tobacco products via a secure, usable and well-maintained global information-sharing focal point
What will it track?
- Date & time, location and productions shift of manufacture
- Machine, manufacturing facility and product description
- Name, invoice, order number and payment records of the first customer unaffiliated with the manufacturer
- Intended market of retail sale; intended shipment route, the shipment date, shipment destination, point of departure and consignee
- Any warehousing and shipping
- Identity of any known subsequent purchaser
Know your vendor
Countries will want to purchase adequate and fully functional T&T systems. However, identifying a suitable vendor in the market may be tricky for health government officials who are unfamiliar with T&T vendors. Some systems have been developed by the tobacco industry itself and are incompatible with the ITP.
The need for secure communication
Once the ITP is operational, it will involve the exchange of sensitive information. The confidentiality of any communication needs to be ensured. A secure system needs to be developed to protect it from the threat of criminal interests and the tobacco industry itself trying to corrupt and undermine the ITP.