Track and Trace Working Group for FCTC Protocol Launches in Panama

This month, in Panama, the first meeting of a working group set up by the parties to the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was held, with a focus on the tracking and tracing, global information-sharing focal point and unique ID requirements of the Protocol.

Although the meeting was hosted by the Panama Ministry of Health as opposed to, say the Ministry of Finance (given that the FCTC is a global public health treaty, rather than, say, a tobacco tax treaty), the meeting was largely attended by finance, tax, customs and law enforcement departments, serving to confirm the important role of these departments in implementing the track and trace provisions of the Protocol.

Also in attendance were representatives from non-governmental organisations, including members of the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), which is made up of nearly 500 organisations from over 100 countries, dedicated to the development, ratification and implementation of the FCTC (which stands for Framework Convention on Tobacco Control).