Washington, D.C., October 9, 2025 — Representatives from 25 State Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and 4 non-Parties from the Region of the Americas participated from October 6 to 9 in the virtual preparatory meetings for the Eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO FCTC and the Fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP4) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
The meetings were organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), with financial support from Health Canada, and in coordination with the Representatives of the Americas at the COP and MOP Bureaus, as well as with the Regional Coordinators of both Bureaus and the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC. This group met in person at the PAHO/WHO office in Panama to facilitate the moderation of the meetings.
These meetings, known as AMR Pre-COP11/Pre-MOP4, aim to provide States Parties in the Region of the Americas with a platform to analyze key issues on the agendas of both sessions, clarify doubts, discuss possible common positions, and strengthen their preparation for the sessions to be held in November 2025 in Geneva.
The preparatory meetings have been complemented by a series of thematic webinars that are being held from September 4 to November 6. These webinars are designed to explore in greater depth technical aspects that are part of the COP11 and MOP4 agendas.
These include the regulation of the content and disclosure of information on tobacco products; the protection of the environment and human health; nicotine addiction and the widespread availability and marketing of nicotine products; licensing systems related to tobacco control and the elimination of illicit trade; protection against interference by the tobacco industry in the context of COP and MOP sessions; and the rules of procedure of the COP and MOP.
In their capacity as observers, PAHO/WHO Member States that are non-Parties to the WHO FCTC and non-governmental organizations in official relations with PAHO/WHO and entities accredited to the COP and MOP, working in the region, participated in these meetings.
These activities reflect the commitment of the Region of the Americas to strengthening tobacco control policies and the effective implementation of the WHO FCTC and its Protocol, in line with global efforts to protect public health.
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