Do as I Say, Not What’s Best: The Perils of Philanthro-Colonialism at COP11

By Own Correspondent  As the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) concluded last week, experts on the sidelines raised concerns about the misuse of Article 5.3, which has increasingly hindered engagement with diverse stakeholders. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) restrictive interpretation of this article has effectively limited meaningful dialogue between governments and non-state actors, including researchers, harm reduction advocates and industry representatives. Experts argue that this approach stifles evidence-based policymaking, prevents countries from exploring safer alternatives and reinforces a one-size-fits-all prohibitionist…

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