18.2 Guiding principles and general obligations

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Article 4 of the FCTC sets out a number of guiding principles that should inform the measures adopted by Parties to implement the provisions of the Convention. These include: that every person should be informed of 'the health consequences, addictive nature and mortal threat posed by tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke'; that strong political commitment is necessary to develop and support comprehensive multisectoral measures and coordinated responses; that international cooperation is particularly important; and that the participation of civil society[3] is essential in achieving the objective of the Convention.

General obligations to be fulfilled by each Party to the FCTC are listed in Article 5. These include the implementation and maintenance of comprehensive multisectoral national tobacco control strategies, plans and programs, and the establishment or reinforcement and financing of a national coordinating mechanism or focal points for tobacco control. Parties must, in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, 'act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law'.1 Article 5.3 Article 5 also requires Parties to cooperate with each other in the formulation of proposed measures, procedures and guidelines for the implementation of the Convention, and in the raising of financial resources for its implementation, and to cooperate with competent international and regional intergovernmental organisations and other bodies to achieve the objective of the Convention.