Health treaty dilution: a case study of Japan’s influence on the language of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Open accessAbstract
Background: The Japanese government is an important shareholder in the Japanese tobacco industry. Negotiations to develop the WHO’s historic Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) were based on consensus, resulting in countries needing to agree to the lowest acceptable common denominator in clause development. Objective: To illustrate Japan’s role in negotiating key optional language in the FCTC text. Methods: Summary reports, text proposals, conference papers, and speeches related to the six FCTC negotiation sessions were reviewed for repeated words, concepts and emerging themes. Key stakeholders were interviewed. Key words such as “sovereignty”, “appropriate”, “latitude”, “individual”, “flexibility”, and “may” representing optional language were examined. Results: The Japanese government’s proposals for “appropriate” and optional measures are reflected in the final FCTC text that accommodates flexibility on interpretation and implementation on key tobacco controls. While Japan was not alone in proposing optional language, consensus accommodated their proposals. Conclusion: Japan’s success in arguing for extensive optional language seriously weakened the FCTC. Accordingly, international tobacco control can be expected to be less successful in reducing the burden of disease caused by tobacco use.
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During the FCTC negotiation, JTI worked actively with the Japanese government to weaken the FCTC.
“During the FCTC negotiation, JTI worked actively with the Japanese government to weaken the FCTC (Assunta and Chapman 2006).”
From Civil society and the negotiation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (2009) · cites this paper as Assunta and Chapman 2006
The “Setting the tone” section says the Japanese delegation’s proposals closely aligned with JT’s positions, and the Discussion says Japan’s push for optional language weakened the FCTC. The Discussion also says JT and JTI aggressively opposed European tobacco-control measures during the negotiations. It does not say that JTI worked directly with the Japanese government to weaken the treaty; the documented alignment is with JT, not specifically JTI. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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Mamudu, H. M., & Glantz, S. A. (2009) · Global Public Health · doi:10.1080/17441690802095355 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
- Authors
- Assunta, M., & Chapman, S.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Assunta, Mary
- ORCID
- Assunta, Mary
- Venue
- Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2006-08-11
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 751-756
- ISSN
- 0141-7681 (ISSN-L)
- 0143-005X
- 1470-2738
- PMC
- PMC2652883
- OpenAlex
- W2100181669
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 8.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
- Keywords
- Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Japan, treaty negotiations, tobacco control, tobacco industry influence
- MeSH terms
- Health Policy, Health Promotion, Humans, International Cooperation, Japan, Terminology as Topic, Social Control, Formal, Tobacco Use Disorder, World Health Organization, Negotiating
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