Creation of the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub for Article 12

The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was adopted in May 2003 by the World Health Assembly, in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. The goal of WHO FCTC is to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic effects of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. The Convention represents a milestone for the promotion of public health and provides new legal dimensions for international health cooperation.

The Secretariat of the WHO FCTC was mandated at the Sixth Conference of Parties to set up knowledge hubs to analyse, synthesize and disseminate information and knowledge among the Parties, in their specific areas of expertise, and in connection with various articles to the WHO FCTC. Since 2014, the WHO FCTC Secretariat has coordinated the establishment of eight knowledge hubs in eight countries with the overall aim to help the Parties to implement the requirements of the Convention. With its long and strong experience in the development, implementation and promotion of tobacco control policies, France is now strengthening its presence also at the international level through establishing of the 9th WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub (KH), in relation to Article 12 of the Convention. The Government of France entrusted Santé publique France to serve as knowledge hub.

The Convention Secretariat and Santé publique France signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a KH at Santé publique France in July 2022.

The KH at Santé publique France relates to Article 12 of WHO FCTC that requires Parties to implement measures on education, communication, training and public awareness. For example, Article 12 promotes measures to inform the public and raise public awareness on the consequences of tobacco consumption as well as on tobacco control issues. To achieve this, it promotes the use of all available tools, as appropriate, such as media campaigns, education and training programs.

To find out more about the implementation and requirements of Article 12 of WHO FCTC, please visit our Article 12 page.

Our activities

A key component of the KH’s work is the development and maintenance of a website, which allows the transfer of knowledge and sharing of good practices in relation to Article 12. The KH acts as a facilitator that ensures that the needs of the Parties are met. The aim is to interactively engage with the Party, and this engagement may further evolve according to the needs expressed by the Parties until the appropriate assistance is provided to them. The dissemination of knowledge and skills is one of the main goals of the KH; for this purpose, we conduct trainings, organize webinars, conferences and other events.

The website of the Knowledge Hub

The objective of the website is to share knowledge by providing scientific and operational content. The content covers topics such as health prevention and public health communication techniques, in particular social marketing, a discipline whose objective is the adoption of healthier behaviors within the population. Another area covered is the evaluation of the communication programs and campaigns that are carried out. Special attention is given to ethical issues (for example, avoid smokers stigmatization, or adopt a fair action towards the different populations using proportionate universalism) and easy accessibility of the proposed content.

Assistance to Parties

The objective of the KH is to guide the Parties and to make recommendations to them on how they should reinforce their knowledge and competencies adapting the actions promoted on the KH’s website to the reality of their countries. This assistance will be developed along three axes:

• A resource centre that responds to the needs of the Parties in relation to Article 12 and that will be available on our website in the “resources” tab

• The animation of a network (of project leaders, decision makers and other actors involved in tobacco control) to promote knowledge sharing through conferences and seminars

• The organization of trainings, workshops and webinars to strengthen the skills of the Parties

Parties that wish to receive assistance from the KH in respect to Article 12 should contact the WHO FCTC Secretariat at fctcsecretariat@who.int. Parties could also send their requests directly to the KH to the following address: kharticle12@santepubliquefrance.fr, copying the WHO FCTC Secretariat. More information about the Knowledge Hub on Article 12 and the other WHO FCTC Knowledge Hubs is available on the WHO FCTC website.