Protocol to Eliminate Elicit Trade Celebrates Sixth Year – Vapor Voice

The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products celebrates its sixth anniversary today.

The international treaty, which currently has 69 parties, aims to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products through a comprehensive package of measures that countries must implement in cooperation with each other. The Protocol builds on and complements Article 15 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires parties to implement measures to combat illicit trade in tobacco products, such as supply chain control measures and cooperation in law enforcement and prosecution.

The Protocol also addresses issues such as transnational organised crime, corruption, money laundering, national security, loss of government revenue, poverty and tobacco-related diseases.

According to the World Health Organization, illicit trade accounts for about 11 percent of the total global tobacco trade. Eliminating it could increase global tax revenues by an estimated $47.4 billion per year.