Ahead of the upcoming 30th UN Climate Conference (COP30), the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), and the 4th Meeting of the Parties (MOP4) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, a media training session was held virtually on October 28.

The event, titled “Governments Must Prioritize Accountability and Urgent Actions at Climate and Tobacco Control Treaties,” was jointly organized by the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), Corporate Accountability, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), APCAT, APCAT Media, The Union, Vital Strategies, and CNS.

The session was hosted by Ms. Shobha Shukla, Executive Director of CNS, India.

The first presentation was delivered by Prof. Dr. Judith Mackay, WHO Senior Policy Advisor and Special Advisor at the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), Hong Kong, representing the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control. Her talk, titled “The Role of the WHO FCTC in the Multilateralism Crisis: Commemorating its 20th Anniversary,” highlighted key provisions of the FCTC—Article 5.3 (keeping the tobacco industry out of policymaking), Article 18 (tobacco farming is not a lucrative cash crop), and Article 19 (liability).

Dr. Mackay also shared Australia’s success in defending its plain packaging law against three major legal challenges filed by the tobacco industry—under the Constitution, bilateral trade agreements, and the WTO. She concluded by emphasizing that “the future requires political will.”

Mr. Rayyan Sabet-Parry from the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC expressed gratitude to all participants and outlined ongoing global efforts to curb tobacco use and promotion. He also invited everyone to the upcoming hybrid press conference scheduled for Saturday, November 22, 2025.

Dr. Tara Singh Bam, Asia Pacific Director (Tobacco Control) at Vital Strategies, Vice-Chair of the Tobacco Control Section at The Union, and Board Director of the Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT)—representing Nepal/Singapore—spoke on “Tobacco Control in Nepal: Leadership, Accountability and Sustainability.”

He shared national data showing that 28% of men and 5% of women in Nepal smoke tobacco, while 4.5% of boys and 2.1% of girls use tobacco products. He noted that tobacco use causes 24,800 deaths annually in Nepal and costs the country an estimated NPR 47 billion each year.

Dr. Bam emphasized that leadership, accountability, and sustainability are essential to achieve lasting reductions in tobacco use. He highlighted Nepal’s recent policy move—100% Pictorial Health Warnings (PHWs) adopted on February 3, 2025, and set to take effect from August 1, 2025. However, there are ongoing legal challenges from the tobacco industry at the Supreme Court, but he expressed confidence in Nepal’s strong stance, calling it a “bold and out-of-the-box approach.”

He added that Nepal is projected to achieve a 41.7% relative reduction in tobacco use by 2025, surpassing the WHO’s global target of a 30% reduction.

Other speakers included Blanca Llorente, Research Director, Fundacion Anaas (Colombia); Daniel Dorado Torres, Tobacco Campaign Director, Corporate Accountability (Colombia/Ecuador); Monica Andreis, Executive Director, ACT Promocao da Saude (Brazil); Akinbode Matthew Oluwafemi, Executive Director, CAPPA (Nigeria); and Rachel Rose Jackson, Director of Climate Research and Policy at Corporate Accountability (United States) and a representative of the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition.

Together, they called on governments to show strong leadership, ensure corporate accountability, and take urgent, coordinated actions to protect health, climate, and future generations. Such media training sessions play a crucial role in sensitizing journalists to write for advocacy and public health, ultimately helping to save lives. Organization of such programs is essential to build a stronger voice for health and social accountability.