Interference around COP 11 & MOP 4

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Background

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is an international treaty that aims to reduce the supply and demand of tobacco. The WHO FCTC includes a specific obligation, Article 5.3, requiring Parties to protect public health policies from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry.

The Parties to the WHO FCTC usually meet every two years at the Conference of the Parties (COP). In 2025, the 11th session of the COP (COP 11) took place from 17 to 22 November in Geneva, immediately followed by the fourth Meeting of the Parties (MOP 4) from 24 to 26 November, to oversee the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. This treaty was adopted at COP 5 and addresses means of countering the illicit tobacco trade.

In October 2025, the Secretariat of the two treaties released a statement indicating that the tobacco industry is intensifying its efforts to influence the COP and MOP negotiations, in order to undermine global tobacco control measures. The Secretariat urged parties to “stay vigilant”.1

This page summarises activities and interference by the tobacco industry, third parties, and other actors in relation to COP 11 and MOP 4, as well as highlighting criticism aimed at the treaties.

The Tobacco Industry and Associations

British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International

Ahead of COP 11, British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International (PMI), and Tabacalera Centroamericana (TACASA), PMI’s subsidiary in Guatemala and Honduras,2 attended a meeting between the Honduran government and the private sector, “with the aim of coordinating the country’s position at COP 11”, according to a Honduran government webpage.3 The webpage also stated that “by 20 September the government will receive contributions from the private sector, which will then be discussed”.3 The meeting was convened by the Honduran Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (SRECI).

Tabaqueira

In October 2025, a representative of Tabaqueira, PMI’s Portuguese subsidiary, criticised COP 11 in the local press, stating:

“If all the measures presented are accepted, it may jeopardise the sustainability of thousands of small businesses that are part of the value chain in this sector, as well as creating favourable conditions for the illicit trade, with resulting loss of tax revenue.”4

Tobacco associations in Brazil

In July 2025, a public meeting to discuss the Brazilian position at COP was held at the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil’s lower house of parliament) in Brasília. It was attended by various tobacco industry organisations. Attendees criticised the COP, recalling that in previous COPs industry representatives were denied access.5

The same month, a similar meeting was held by the Sectorial Chamber for the Tobacco Supply Chain, an industry enclave which sits within the Ministry of Agriculture.6 According to the Interstate Tobacco Industry Union (SindiTabaco), which is represented in the Sectorial Chamber, the group feared that the Brazilian delegation would adopt an “arbitrary” position, “as has occurred at other COPs”.78 The president of the Sectorial Chamber is also the vice-president of the Tobacco Growers’ Association of Brazil (Afubra), which criticised the exclusion of industry representatives from the COP.9

In September 2025, a meeting was held in Brasília by Conicq, the National Commission for Implementation of the WHO FCTC in Brazil. This meeting was attended by SindiTabaco, which lobbied Conicq to consider not only matters of public health, but also to take into account “the social and economic importance of the tobacco industry for more than 525 municipalities and 138,000 Brazilian farmers”.10

During COP 11, a committee of Brazilian parliamentarians and representatives of tobacco sector organisations travelled to Geneva, though they were not granted access to the COP sessions.11 SindiTabaco, which was part of the committee, criticised its exclusion, stating that its presence at COP was to defend the people in the sector, even if this had to occur “behind the scenes”.11 Other members of the committee reported being in Geneva to defend the tobacco production chain from regulation they perceived to be prohibitionist or restrictive towards tobacco cultivation.12

Representatives of tobacco sector organisations had several meetings with the Brazilian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office. SindiTabaco stated that these meetings were essential to communicate the sector’s concerns, and suggested it would pursue further coordinated action in Brazil following the COP.13

  • For more on COP-related activity by Brazilian parliamentarians and public officials, see below.

Tobacco Institute of India

The Tobacco Institute of India (TII) was founded in 1992 by ITC Limited, Godfrey Phillips India and VST Industries Ltd. All three companies have affiliations with either British American Tobacco (BAT) or Philip Morris International (PMI).14

In June 2025, at an awards ceremony for tobacco farmers, Sharad Tandan, TII director, expressed concerns over COP 11 policy measures, describing them as “unreasonable and impractical”.15

International Tobacco Growers Association

The International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) – a front group set up and run by the major cigarette manufacturers – held several meetings during 2025 in which COP 11 featured in discussions.

In April, the Americas meeting placed “particular emphasis on the increasing regulatory pressure from the World Health Organization”.16

In July, ITGA hosted a meeting in Malawi, which addressed the potential impacts of COP 11 and the EU Due Diligence Directive on tobacco growing in Africa. The meeting included representatives from five African tobacco-producing countries, including Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Malawi and the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco-Growing Foundation (ECLT), among others.17

In September, ITGA held its AGM in Germany, at which it criticised the COP.18

During the COP, ITGA called for “policies that consider the livelihoods of families dependent on tobacco cultivation”.19 In an interview with Gaz, ITGA stated that nothing positive is decided during COP. ITGA was present in Geneva alongside with Unitab Europe and grower delegates from Kazakhstan, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Poland.20

Tobacco Industry Media and Events

Filter magazine

In May and September 2025, Filter magazine published articles on COP 11. Filter is owned by The Influence Foundation, which receives direct and indirect tobacco industry funding, including from Global Action to End Smoking (GAES), which continues to operate on funding from PMI. In 2024, the Influence Foundation received US$127,308 from GAES to “Support communication about tobacco harm reduction”.21

In May, writing on ‘World Vape Day’, Filter argued that people “in the nicotine space” are excluded and denied their “voice” at COP 11. It also alleged that the WHO and others in tobacco control “stigmatized” people who use nicotine.22

In September, Filter suggested that those advocating for newer nicotine and tobacco products worry that the best outcome at COP would be to avoid any further policy setbacks. The article quoted extensively both the executive coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) and the pro-tobacco blogger Martin Cullip. The latter has longstanding relationships with the tobacco industry and industry-funded organisations, though in the Filter article he is presented only as a “British THR [tobacco harm reduction] advocate”.23

Post COP, Filter published an article by Cullip arguing that the WHO’s tobacco control policies have drifted away from science.24

The Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum

The Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF) is an annual tobacco-industry funded event that typically takes place in September. This theme of this year’s event was ‘Real World Evidence: The Race to Reduce Harm’.25 One of the sessions, which was titled “FCTC/COP What Role Does the Global Framework Play in Today’s Regulatory Environment?”, was moderated by Derek Yach (formerly of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World) and the speakers included Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs and Peter Beckett of Clearing the Air.26Third Parties

Consumer Choice Center

During the COP, the Consumer Choice Center (CCC), which has received funding from the tobacco industry, argued that the WHO is ignoring evidence on tobacco harm reduction (THR). The CCC called on Parties to recognise harm reduction and involve consumers in decision making.27

Clearing the Air

Clearing the Air receives support from CCC.28 In October 2025, Clearing the Air published a leaked European Union (EU) document outlining the EU’s proposed position ahead of COP 11. The article stated that the document signalled an “explicitly hostile stance toward harm reduction” and criticised the framing of harm reduction as an industry narrative, arguing that the EU is portraying “novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products” as a “gateway to addiction”.29

In November 2025, Clearing the Air published an article ahead of COP 11 calling on “governments, industry, and civil society to embrace tobacco harm reduction”. The article called for re-evaluation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC and an end to the exclusion of tobacco-industry funded research from leading scientific journals.30

World Vapers’ Alliance

The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA), a US-based organisation, was set up by and receives funding from CCC. WVA is also reported to have received funding from BAT directly.31

In April 2025, WVA accused the WHO of ignoring what it describes as “robust evidence” on harm reduction.32 WVA indicated that it would be present at COP 11, to ensure that policy makers consider “the evidence supporting tobacco harm reduction” and the “rights of adults to access safer alternatives”.32

In June 2025, as part of its campaign “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter!”, WVA held a silent protest outside the venue of the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin.33 It described the exclusion of consumers in Dublin as “dangerous” and argued that COP should not be another “closed-door summit where consumer voices are excluded and outdated thinking prevails.”34 It also criticised the EU for aligning its stance with the WHO and considering tax increases on “alternative nicotine products”.34 WVA later criticised the COP 11 agenda, claiming that the language revealed a “dangerously biased and ideologically driven direction for the upcoming negotiations.”35

In August 2025, WVA published two opinion pieces in local outlets in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago; in the latter case, the article was described as a “paid advertorial”.3637 WVA argued that smaller countries are often “sidelined at these global meetings” and urged them to “stand tall” and “champion” harm reduction at COP 11.3637 Another article published on the WVA website recalled Saint Kitts and Nevis’s proposal at COP 10 to create a working group on harm reduction, and indicated that along with Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the country has “a chance to lead” at COP 11.38

In August 2025, an article was published on the WVA website by the chair of the Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA). He argued that COP 11 presents an opportunity for Africa to demand “a more realistic, risk-based approach”. The article states that “Africa should speak with one voice” in favour of harm reduction.39

During the COP, the WVA argued that COP has become an echo chamber where “[c]ountries compete to announce the harshest measures against vaping, pouches and heated tobacco”,40 while excluding consumers from the process.4041 WVA also celebrated countries that defended THR positions at COP 11.4243 and criticised statements made by the EU Director-General for Health and Food Safety at a Ministerial Roundtable on harm reduction on the opening day.44

We Vape

We Vape was founded in 2020 by Mark Oates, a fellow at the Adam Smith Institute, a UK think tank that has a history of collaboration with the tobacco industry, including accepting funding. Oates’ consultancy company, Oates Consulting, has also received funding from CCC. In 2023, CCC paid Oates Consulting over US$300,000, and in 2024, CCC paid Oates Consulting a further US$522,000.4546

In August 2025, We Vape posted on social media about COP 11, describing it as an opportunity for change and calling for the WHO to “embrace harm reduction”. The post was accompanied by an image of women holding placards, which read “Listen to consumers”; “Hands off our vapes”; “Let consumers into COP 11”; and “Let us vape” (see Image 1).47

In September 2025, We Vape relaunched its “Back Vaping Save Lives” campaign, which it also ran during COP 10 (see Interference Around COP 10 and MOP 3). The campaign page states that “The rights of vapers are under threat from the World Health Organisation [sic]” and provided a template letter for people to write to their MP.4849

We Vape has also been targeting small retailers with anti-COP discourse. Convenience Store, a website for the sector, reported that “We Vape believes an attack on vaping is an attack on small high street businesses, already reeling from government tax increases on employees’ national insurance and the cost of living crisis.”50

Oates said:

“How is it a supranational organisation can ban the media and the public, but be allowed to influence global policy so that it damages public health in nearly 200 countries, destroys small businesses and misinforms the people?”50

Knowledge-Action-Change

In September 2025, Knowledge-Action-Change (K-A-C), a GAES grantee, published a COP briefing paper on the website of its Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction project. The brief stated that the WHO FCTC’s current stance against “safer nicotine products” undermines progress on global public health, indicating “[t]here is a growing body of evidence that shows SNP [Safer Nicotine Products] are significantly safer than combustible cigarettes”, but that “the WHO seems resolutely set against THR [tobacco harm reduction]”. The brief also criticised the COP for a perceived lack of transparency and accountability. It urged people to contact their parliamentary representative and relevant ministry officials, alert the media, engage with the Convention Secretariat, and make their position clear to IGOs and NGOs with observer status.51

Institute of Economic Affairs

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a “free market” UK think tank, has a history of collaboration with the tobacco industry, including receiving financial support from tobacco companies.

The Director of the IEA’s “Lifestyle Economics” unit, Christopher Snowdon, authored an article published by The Critic criticising the COP as a “biennial gathering of anti-nicotine zealots.” He also described the forward looking measures put forward by the Expert Group in relation to WHO FCTC Article 2.1 as “insane” and “idiotic”.52

After COP, Snowdon published another commentary criticising the WHO’s approach at COP 11, arguing that it is increasingly focused on opposing the “nicotine industry”, and pushing for a “nicotine-free world”.53

Health Diplomats and linked groups

Smoke Free Sweden is a campaign created by Health Diplomats, a consultancy set up by Delon Human. Human is described as the “leader of the Smoke Free Sweden movement” on its website.54

In September 2025, Smoke Free Sweden launched a report titled “The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures”. Four of the authors – Human, Martin Cullip, Marewa Glover (of the Centre for Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty and Smoking), and Karl Fagerstrom (of the Snus Commission) – have had financial links to the tobacco industry. The report stated that “COP11 should focus on provisions of the treaty that need updating to incorporate THR”.55 It republished in full the proposal by Saint Kitts and Nevis at COP 10 to establish a working group on harm reduction, arguing that the group “would not be a policy shift, but a fact-finding mission grounded in the FCTC’s own principles.”55

In parallel to the release of the report, Human argued that integrating newer nicotine and tobacco products into tobacco control strategies could help Caribbean policymakers (particularly in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago) reduce smoking-related deaths.56 The article in which he was quoted also framed COP 11 as an opportunity for Caribbean delegations “to champion public health innovation over outdated, ineffective and ideological dogma.”56

In May 2025, TobaccoHarmReduction.net, another campaign founded by Human,57 published an article which referred to the ‘Good COP/Bad COP’ campaign by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA). It stated that the “campaign aims to hold the WHO accountable.”58

Human is also co-founder of the African Harm Reduction Alliance (AHRA).59 In October 2025 an article was published on the AHRA website which criticised the language of the COP agenda.60

UNITAB Europe

In October 2025, Gennarino Masiello, president of UNITAB (the European Union of tobacco growers) and the Italian National Tobacco Organization (ONT Italia), criticised the prospect of the EU adopting the same position as the WHO FCTC on forward-looking measures. He described the measures as “disaster”, which risked “destroying families and thousands of jobs.” He also argued they would lead to greater levels of illicit trade.61

Global Institute for Novel Nicotine

In June 2025, the Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN), an association directed by a former PMI employee, published an article arguing that debate in the lead up to COP on banning flavours in nicotine pouches and other “reduced-risk” products should be guided by a “science-based approach” rather than “outdated ideology”.62

GINN’s Science and Standards Committee Chair is also a former tobacco industry employee, who worked for British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International (PMI) and Imperial Brands.63 In November 2025, he published an article which argued that banning nicotine pouches “would be a profound public health mistake.”64

Federazione Italiana Tabaccai

In October 2025, Mario Antonelli, President of the Federazione Italiana Tabaccai (FIT), which represents Italian tobacco retailers, criticised upcoming proposals from the WHO and the European Commission. He described the COP 11 expert group report on forward looking measures as “surreal” and urged the Italian government to oppose decisions shaping Europe’s stance ahead of the COP.65 He stated:

“These regulatory proposals seriously undermine not only the regulatory power of each EU Member State to define sales and distribution systems, but also the individual freedom of citizens and the freedom to conduct a business.”65

BOTEC Analysis

An article was published during COP by Ian Irvine, a professor of economics at Concordia University in Canada, who declares funding from Global Action to End Smoking (GAES) via BOTEC analysis.6667 It stated that the “WHO’s elves and gnomes have been busy developing anti-nicotine measures for approval at COP11”.68

Parliamentarians and Public Officials

Brazil

Parliamentarians and public officials supportive of the tobacco industry were particularly active against COP in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s biggest tobacco-producing state.69 In June, a bill was tabled to provide official recognition for tobacco growing as an activity of social, cultural and economic importance for the state, though Article 17 of the WHO FCTC urges Parties to seek economically viable alternatives for tobacco farmers.7071

In August 2025, the Rio Grande do Sul legislature approved the creation of the “Subcommission for the Defence of the Tobacco Sector and COP 11 Monitoring”. Its activities were compiled into a report, which it planned to send to Brazilian government ministers, diplomats and the WHO in the runup to COP.7273 The leader of the Subcommission called on the federal government to secure access to the COP for the tobacco industry and industry-adjacent politicians and journalists, and suggested that if they were denied access (as occurred at previous COPs), they would consider taking legal action.74

In September 2025, Rio Grande do Sul’s minister for agriculture highlighted the importance of tobacco growing to the state’s economy and reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting the sector. He also confirmed that the state governor had asked him to represent Rio Grande do Sul at COP 11.75

The president of the CIDASC, a state-owned company with the mission to promote agriculture in the state of Santa Catarina, was on the committee that travelled to the COP. She warned that COP 11 proposals to ban cigarette filters could have unintended consequences, including encouraging consumption of illicit tobacco. She also argued that COP decisions must balance health goals with the social and economic realities of tobacco-dependent rural communities.76

During COP, the committee of Brazilian parliamentarians and representatives from tobacco sector organisations held several meetings with the Brazilian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva and an official from the Ministry of Foreign Relations, arguing these meetings were necessary to protect national economic interests.7778 According to one parliamentarian on the committee, the presence of the Brazilian deputies at COP was essential to prevent regulatory outcomes perceived as harmful to tobacco farming livelihoods.79

Philippines

During COP, the Northern Luzon Alliance (NLA), a congressional bloc comprised of representatives from tobacco growing provinces, praised the Philippine delegation for defending the country’s right to review proposals based on national circumstances, particularly with regard to tobacco growing.80 The NLA stated that COP proposals on tobacco growing and retail would be an “economic death sentence” for agricultural provinces and related industries,80 and criticised measures such as ending government support for growers, imposing quotas, and phasing out tobacco sales as unrealistic and incompatible with domestic economic conditions.8081

Farmers’ and Workers’ Associations

India

Before the COP, the Federation of All India Farmers Associations (FAIFA), known for its longstanding opposition to tobacco control regulation,82 protested its exclusion from COP proceedings. It argued that growers had become “victims of policy decisions taken without their voice”.83

Philippines

During the COP, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), an NGO representing rural workers in the Philippines,84 stated that “Tobacco remains a primary source of livelihood across nearly 20 provinces… More importantly, this is the only decent source of income many families have known for generations”.80 It praised the Philippine delegation for considering these realities, stating that by protecting farmers and their communities, they safeguarded not only crops but also the dignity and future of those reliant on tobacco.80

Similarly, the Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA), a member of ITGA,85 warned that proposals on forward‑looking measures linked to Article 2.1 of the WHO FCTC could “destroy farms and entire communities”.86 The PTGA president urged Party delegations to consider the economic consequences for growers, advocating instead for “practical, harm‑reduction‑based solutions”, while praising approaches to newer nicotine products in the UK, Japan, and Sweden.86

Others

allAfrica

allAfrica is an African news platform that describes itself as “the only independent, comprehensive pan-African news source, with unrivaled reach and reputation.”87 It lists PMI Science as a “premium partner”.88

allAfrica covered the parallel event Good COP 2.0, held by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA – see below). The article, which criticised the exclusion of consumers from the COP sessions, quoted representatives from Factasia and the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA), both of which have tobacco industry links.89 Following COP, another article on allAfrica praised the event as a “corrective to COP11 and to WHO FCTC orthodoxy”.90

Another article published after COP argued that African nations were “ready to claim” the “lifeline” represented by tobacco harm reduction.91 The author also criticised the expert groups which advise the COP, for being small, exclusive and opaque.91

Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) describes itself as “an alliance between the Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates and their respective organisations in the region”.92 It states it is “unfunded and grassroots”,92 and has had “no affiliation with any industry or commercial interests, whether tobacco or e-cigarette related, since its inception in 2018”.93 In 2025, CAPHRA issued a series of public statements ahead of COP 11.

In January, CAPHRA indicated it wrote to Health Ministries in the Asia Pacific region urging them to include consumer perspectives in their national positions to COP 11, to “ensure that tobacco harm reduction policies are evidence-based and consumer-informed”.93 In March and April, CAPHRA called upon Parties to the WHO FCTC to adopt “risk-proportionate regulations that distinguish safer alternatives from deadly combustible products”,94 and to resist “external pressures” by grounding policies in scientific evidence.95 The group also called on governments to hold the WHO and the WHO FCTC accountable for the exclusion of consumer voices in tobacco policy making.95

CAPHRA repeatedly criticised the COP meetings.9596 It also claimed that Article 5.3, which is intended to prevent tobacco industry interference, has been misused to exclude independent consumer groups and harm reduction experts with no industry ties.9798 It criticised the COP 11 agenda,99100 and the draft decision on forward looking measures in relation to Article 2.1.100

In October 2025, CAPHRA announced that it would run “Asia Day” on 19 November 2025 in parallel to COP 11 as part of the “Good COP” event being run by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA – see below).101

At the event, TPA released a policy brief/white paper entitled “Harm Reduction Denied in Asia Pacific” authored by the co-founder and director of CAPHRA.102103COPWATCH

COPWATCH is a website that publishes regular blog posts attacking the WHO, the COP and the tobacco control community. It does not identify the authors of the posts or any of its funders. The “About Us” section of their website states only that the website “is written and published by consumers of safer nicotine products”.104

In the lead up to COP 11, it published articles criticising the COP document on forward-looking measures and its implications for “tobacco harm reduction”,105 the COP provisional agenda,106 and transparency at the COP.107

During the COP, COPWATCH posted live reporting on its website. It criticised the civil society “Orchid” and “Dirty Ashtray” Awards, while issuing its own alternative awards. It also labelled the Global Alliance of Tobacco Control materials/bulletin as “brainwashings”.108 COPWATCH also reported from the TPA’s Good COP 2.0 event.109

Francophone Forum on Nicotine HR event

The Francophone Forum on Nicotine was held in Geneva during the week of COP.110 It was organised by the co-founder of the platform Nicotine World, who is also the President of NICOSWITCH, a commercial company that sells nicotine pouches.111

Taxpayers Protection Alliance

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a US-based not-for-profit which lobbies on tobacco related topics, including outside the US.

In April 2025, TPA announced it would be running an event in Geneva parallel to COP 11, called “Good COP”. This follows a similar event held in Panama during COP 10. The president of TPA said “We’re building a coalition of doctors, consumers, and advocates who want the WHO to work for the people, not against them”.112

TPA also criticised the WHO FCTC, arguing that the convention has “failed to adapt” and “has not integrated harm reduction strategies” into its policy framework.113

In October 2025, TPA released a brief titled “FCTC: The Wrong Lessons Learned,” by Roger Bate, an economist who has worked for the American Enterprise Institute think tank and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). Bate has a history of advocating for the tobacco industry.114

During the COP, TPA held its Good COP 2.0 in parallel to the COP at a hotel in Geneva. The event was livestreamed throughout the week on YouTube and promoted by COPWATCH.115 During the event, TPA president David Williams described the Good COP 2.0 as an initiative aimed at addressing longstanding “misinformation and disinformation” in tobacco control.116

Tobacco Harm Reduction 101

Lindsey Stroud, formerly of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, is founder and president of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101,117 where she has published a series of articles criticising COP. In August 2025, she argued that COP 10 “failed” to address the regulation of newer nicotine and tobacco products and warned that “With COP11 now less than 100 days away, delegates and policymakers must recognize the damage caused by overregulation and blanket bans.”118 She also urged countries such as the Philippines and Hungary to defend harm reduction at COP 11 and resist “top-down bans”.118119120

For more information on TPA activity around COP 10, see Taxpayers Protection Alliance

We Are Innovation

We Are Innovation describes itself as a “dynamic network of individuals and institutions who deeply believe in innovation’s power to drive progress and solve the world’s most pressing problems.”121 In 2023, POLITICO contacted Federico Fernández, the CEO of We Are Innovation, who reportedly refused to say whether the organisation had received tobacco industry funding.122

In August and September 2025, We Are Innovation published two separate articles on the positions of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago ahead of COP 11, urging the prime ministers of both countries to take action.123124 Fernández called for “bold leadership”, building on support from other Caribbean nations such as Saint Kitts and Nevis and Guyana.123124

Direct appeal to delegates by tobacco harm reduction advocate

In the week before COP, Clive Bates, a prominent British tobacco harm reduction advocate, contacted delegates directly in order to share his “COP-11 survival guide”.125 This consists of seven documents containing detailed information and alternative policy materials which criticise the COP and the WHO FCTC, while advocating for “the one big idea that will work” – namely, the promotion of newer nicotine and tobacco products.126

The survival guide also included an “Expert Wall”, consisting of statements from advocates and researchers on tobacco science and policy, several of whom (but not all) have documented tobacco industry links (undeclared in Bates’s guide).127 Likewise, the “Informative Resources” section directed delegates towards content produced by Karl Fagerstrom of the Snus Commission, who has received consulting fees from the tobacco industry, and Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a think tank with a history of close collaboration with the tobacco industry, including accepting funding.

Relevant Links

Tobacco Tactics Resources

TCRG Research

 

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References

  1. ↑World Health Organization, Tobacco industry targets WHO FCTC COP and MOP negotiations, Parties urged to stay vigilant, website, 22 October 2025, accessed October 2025
  2. ↑Philip Morris International, Guatemala Tabacalera Centralamericana S.A. (TACASA), website, archived, accessed October 2025
  3. ↑abSecretaría de Relaciones Exteriores y Cooperación Internacional, Gobierno y empresa privada preparan postura conjunta previo a la COP 11, Gobierno de la República, undated, accessed October 2025
  4. ↑Produtoras de tabaco alertam para medidas da OMS que ameaçam o setor, Acoriano Oriental, 14 October 2025, accessed October 2025
  5. ↑Reinaldo Coan, O que esperar do Brasil na COP 11, Imprensa News Sul, 10 July 2025, accessed October 2025
  6. ↑M. Mathias, Lobby do fumo ataca colegiado-chave da política antitabaco, O Joio e o Trigo, 30 September 2021, accessed November 2025
  7. ↑E. Stülp Kroth, Câmara Setorial do Tabaco se mobiliza para a COP 11 e avalia cenário das exportações, SindiTabaco, 16 July 2025, accessed October 2025
  8. ↑Ministério de Agricultura e Pecuária, Tabaco, 13 August 2024, accessed September 2024
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  11. ↑abRepresentantes do tabaco gaúcho vão a COP 11, Correio do Povo, 17 November 2025, accessed November 2025
  12. ↑Representantes de Venâncio Aires embarcam para a COP 11 na Suíça, A Hora, 13 November 2025, accessed December 2025
  13. ↑“Nós temos uma grande lição de casa para fazer no Brasil”, avalia presidente do SindiTabaco sobre participação na COP-11, Gaz, 21 November 2025, accessed December 2025
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  15. ↑The Hindu Bureau, Tobacco exports touch an all-time high of ₹16,000 crore during 2024-25, says TII Director, The Hindu, 4 June 2025, accessed October 2025
  16. ↑ITGA Announces Annual Meeting, Tobacco Reporter, 17 April 2025, accessed May 2025
  17. ↑T. Tuinstra, Malawi Hosts ITGA 2025 Africa Meeting, with Experts Pointing to Record Leaf Output and Rising Nicotine Product Growth in Africa, 2Firsts, 7 July 2025, accessed August 2025
  18. ↑ITGA Unites Global Tobacco Growers at InterTabac/InterSupply 2025,  Lifestyle&Tech, 23 September 2025, accessed September 2025
  19. ↑ITGA Marks 20 Years of Advocacy at WHO FCTC, Calls for Grower Inclusion, Tobacco Reporter, 17 November 2025, accessed December 2025
  20. ↑R. Beling, ITGA faz manifestação contundente sobre a COP-11: “Não se decide absolutamente nada”, Gaz, 23 November 2025, accessed December 2025
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  22. ↑World Vape Day Follows Tumultuous Year in Tobacco Harm Reduction, Filter, 30 May 2025, accessed September 2025
  23. ↑K. Sidhu, WHO’s COP11 Will Threaten Tobacco Harm Reduction Behind Closed Doors, Filter, 29 September, 2025, accessed September 2025
  24. ↑M. Cullip, Ideology and Bloomberg Dollars Distort Global Tobacco Treaty, Filter, 5 December 2025, accessed December 2025
  25. ↑Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum, Register for GTNF 2025, website, archived October 2025
  26. ↑Nicotine360, Derek Yach, GTNF 2025, website, undated, archived October 2025
  27. ↑Consumer Choice Center, COP11 in Genf: Immer mehr Staaten wenden sich gegen ideologische Verbote – Consumer Choice Center fordert Kurswechsel hin zu Schadensminderung, PressePortal, 20 November 2025, accessed December 2025
  28. ↑Clearing The Air, Stay informed. Take action. Support harm reduction., website, accessed June 2024
  29. ↑A. Anderson, Exclusive: EU’s Leaked COP11 Position Signals Harsh Crackdown on Safer Nicotine Products, Clearing the Air, 8 October 2025, accessed October 2025
  30. ↑D. Yach, T. Pang, C. Snowden et al, Former WHO Leaders & Economists Warn: Rejecting Harm Reduction Will Cost 100 Million Lives, Clearing The Air, accessed October 2025
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