How the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals fostered the Global Tobacco Treaty

In 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) committed itself, for the first time, to negotiate an international treaty—with tobacco as its target. To assist WHO in building global support for the treaty, Corporate Accountability International founded the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), which now consists of more than 100 consumer, human rights, environmental, faith-based and corporate accountability non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in fifty countries. NATT developed a “Gold Standard” text for the treaty; provided legal, technical, and advocacy support to governments and the WHO; built capacity among NGOs; exposed countries that allied with the tobacco industry; mobilized millions of people to stand up to the tobacco industry; and contributed directly to the treaty's ratification by dozens of countries. In May 2003, the World Health Assembly adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), also knows as the Global Tobacco Treaty. To date, 169 countries have ratified, protecting over 85% of the world's population from tobacco industry advertising, marketing, and sponsorship. NATT was instrumental in establishing Article 5.3, which prohibits the tobacco industry from participating in public health policy-making and prioritizes health over trade and commercial interests. The most serious threat to this groundbreaking treaty is the tobacco industry's attempts to undermine the treaty by weakening enforcement and securing loopholes. NATT is defending the treaty's efficacy by providing model legislation to governments to insulate their health policies from industry influence and ensure adequate enforcement. NATT is also monitoring, documenting, and exposing the tobacco industry's strategies to undermine the treaty.