Best Practices – Article 5.3 Guidelines

BEST PRACTICES

ESTABLISH A MULTI-SECTORAL FORUM
In early 2009, the Philippines set up a multisectoral 5.3 committee that includes the ministry of health, civil service, other government agencies, and NGOs.

PUBLISH MEETINGS & PAPERS
Australia and New Zealand require public disclosure of meetings with the tobacco industry. All notices of meetings and reports are posted on the government website.

ADOPT A CODE OF CONDUCT
In 2010, the Philippines adopted a policy to “Protect the Bureaucracy from Tobacco Industry Interference” which includes revisions to its Code of Conduct, a monitoring / reporting process, and administrative sanctions.

EXCLUDE TOBACCO INDUSTRY FROM MEETINGS
In Albay, Philippines, government lawyers excluded Philip Morris from intervening in a Smoke-Free Ordinance hearing in 2012. For 3 consecutive meetings, representatives of over a hundred governments agreed to eject the tobacco industry from the gallery during the International Negotiating Body sessions for the Illicit Trade Protocol. The Indian government severed ties with a tobacco conference that included tobacco industry representatives.

REJECT DONATIONS / DENORMALIZE SO-CALLED CSR
In Thailand and Singapore, so-called CSR from the tobacco industry, if any, cannot be published. The Department of Education and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board of the Philippines adopted a policy to reject tobacco industry donations. The Shanghai World Expo 2010 returned a donation from a tobacco corporation.

REMOVE INCENTIVES
The Singapore government removed tax incentives of a tobacco company, citing FCTC Article 5.3.

REMOVE FINANCIAL INTERESTS, DIVEST STOCKS
The Norwegian government announced that it will sell its stock investments, estimated to be worth $2.1B, in companies that derive more than 5% of their profits from tobacco.