This article is sourced from the official press release of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
Geneva, 13 November 2025 -- A rising wave of nicotine addiction, particularly among young people, and the growing threat of illicit tobacco trade will be addressed in the coming two weeks by over 1400 delegates representing governments, international organisations and civil society.
These urgent concerns, as well as highlighting the importance of criminal and civil liability to comprehensive tobacco control, will be among the issues on the agenda of biennial meetings of governing bodies of two landmark international health treaties – the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO FCTC will meet in Geneva on 17–22 November, followed by the Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Protocol on 24–26 November.
“The COP and the MOP provide a platform for Parties to review and strengthen the implementation of the WHO FCTC and the Protocol,” said Andrew Black, Acting Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC. “These meetings will bring the world together to energize international cooperation and foster political will to address the global tobacco epidemic, which claims more than 7 million lives annually.”The broad availability and marketing of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products and the actions governments can take, especially to protect children, will be the subject of a ministerial roundtable on the opening day of the meeting. Speakers will include the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Belgium, Mr Frank Vandenbroucke, the Minister of Public Health of Uruguay, Dr Cristina Lustemberg and the Director-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission, Ms Sandra Gallina among others.
Later in the week, the COP will consider measures to prevent and reduce tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction and exposure to tobacco smoke.
Also on the opening day, an event marking 20 years since the entry into force of the WHO FCTC, one of the most rapidly and widely embraced UN treaties, will bring together government and United Nations officials, civil society and youth advocates in a high-level strategic dialogue on the meeting’s theme – Uniting Generations for a Tobacco-free Future.Delegates to the COP also will be on hand for the launch of the 2025 Global Progress Report on implementation of the WHO FCTC.
During the six-day meeting Parties to the WHO FCTC will also have the opportunity to share their experiences in implementing the treaty, and will also consider forward-looking tobacco control measures, as well as discuss an Expert Group report on liability. Other issues on the agenda include the environment and health, as the tobacco product supply chain and tobacco use result in extensive environmental damage. For example, plastic cigarette filters are a leading single source of waste that leaching toxic chemicals into the environment and break down into microplastics.
Illicit trade of tobacco products
Following the COP, 71 Parties to the Protocol will meet from 24 to 26 November 2025.
Illicit trade fuels the tobacco epidemic and undermines tobacco control by increasing access to – often cheaper – tobacco products. The availability of illicit tobacco poses a threat to public safety by weakening security and fostering corruption and organized crime.Illicit trade in tobacco products accounts for an estimated 11% of the global tobacco market, and costs governments over US $47 billion in lost tax revenues annually. These funds could otherwise support provision of vital public services, including health care and education.
A high-level segment of the MOP will include INTERPOL officials and prosecutors from Gabon and Latvia sharing their experiences attempting to halt illicit tobacco trade. Items on the agenda for the MOP include strengthening the implementation of international cooperation, global information-sharing and further controlling the supply chain of tobacco products.
Related links
- Eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO FCTC
- Fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP4) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products
Cover image sourced from the FCTC website.
