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Strengthening Tobacco Control: Celebrating 20 Years of the WHO FCTC and Defending Public Health from Tobacco Industry Interference

- 29 May 2025
Webinar Background

Organizers: WHO Knowledge Hub for Article 5.3

Co-Organizers: Observatories [Africa Center for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM), Centre for Combating Tobacco (CCT), Center for Studies on Tobacco and Health of the National School of Public Health, Sergio Arouca da Fiocruz (CETAB/ENSP/FIOCRUZ)]

Date and Time: 29 May 2025, 12:00-13:15 GMT (8:00 New York, 14:00 Geneva, 14:00 Johannesburg, 19:00 Bangkok, 22:00 Sydney)

Overview: The webinar aimed to showcase the FCTC’s successes in reducing tobacco use and resisting industry interference, address challenges in implementing Article 5.3 to safeguard public health policies, empower stakeholders, amplify youth perspectives, and foster global dialogue for a tobacco-free future. Featuring experts and youth panelists, the event highlighted the treaty’s impact, evolving industry tactics, and strategies to advance global tobacco control. A total of 161 participants from 67 countries across all six WHO regions attended.

Languages: The webinar was in English. French and Spanish interpretation were provided for multilingual audiences to ensure global accessibility.

Presentations: You can access presentation slides (PDF files) from speakers and the webinar summary report in the program below.

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Program:

Time 

Agenda Item

Session moderated by Dr. Ye Htut Oo, Researcher, WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub for Article 5.3

12:00-12:03

3 minutes

Opening Remarks and Introduction

by Dr. Adriana BLANCO MARQUIZO, Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC

12:02-12:12

10 minutes

The WHO FCTC - 20 Years of Impact

by Dr. Vera da Costa e Silva, former Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC (2014-2020)

Access the presentation here.

12:12-12:22

10 minutes

Article 5.3: The Cornerstone of Tobacco Control

by Professor Stella Bialous, Professor and Chair, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing

Access the presentation here.

12:22-12:42

  20 minutes

Interactive Discussion: Breakout rooms for attendees to discuss the barriers and solutions to protecting policy from industry interference. 

Moderated by: Prof. Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, Manuja Perera, Luis Guilherme Hasselmann, Dr. Ye Htut Oo, Worrawan Jirathanapiwat, Le Thu Huong

12:42-12:52

10 minutes

TII: What is new? Evolving strategies and the endgame for the industry

by Dr. Douglas Bettcher, Senior Advisor, Director-General’s Office, World Health Organization

Access the presentation here.

12:52-13:02

10 minutes

Passing the torch: Voices from the future generation 

Panel discussion by global youth tobacco control advocates: Mr. Bonede Thato Mmako, Ms. Andrea Herrera Rivera, and Mr. Judy Delos Reyes

13:02-13:12

10 minutes

Q&A

13:12-13:15

3 minutes

Closing remarks

by Dr. Nuntavarn Vichit-Vadakan, Director, WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub for Article 5.3

 

The summary of the webinar report can be accessed here.