The High-Level side event is organized by the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (Convention Secretariat) together with the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (UNIATF).

The side event will address two issues that are critical in delivering SDG Target 3.a (implementation of the WHO FCTC) and accelerating action to realize the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development. In the first part, speakers will review progress that WHO FCTC Parties are making to use SDG voluntary national reviews to chart progress in implementation of the WHO FCTC and share best experiences in advancing SDG Target 3.a The side event will also highlight the progress made by the UN system to implement the Model policy for agencies of the United Nations system on preventing tobacco industry interference as endorsed by the 2017 ECOSOC resolution E/RES/2017/8 and how UN system agencies are responding to the UN Secretary-General’s call for the entire UN system to avoid engagement with the tobacco industry.

The event will feature brief presentations and interventions from Parties to the WHO FCTC, Convention Secretariat, WHO, IGO and NGO observers, members of the UNIATF and followed by Q&A.

Opening and welcome address by Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Convention Secretariat

Welcome address by H.E. Mr. Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Islamic Republic of Iran in Geneva, President of Conference of the Parties, WHO FCTC

Panel 1: Implementing the WHO FTC at country level including Target 3.a in voluntary national reviews (VNRs)

I.a The experience of including Target 3.a in VNR: raising awareness on the WHO FCTC implementation – Palau and Panama

I.b Towards achieving SDG Target 3.a: India’s Journey– India

H.E. Dr. Emais Roberts, Minister of Health, Republic of Palau

H.E. Dr Oleg Salagay, Deputy Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Russian Federation

H.E. Ms. Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India

Dr. Cirilo Lawson, Director of Health Planning, Ministry of Health, Panama

Panel II – The WHO FCTC: UN experience

II.a Monitoring the implementation of SDGs under the UNSC within the frame of the IAEG: how information on implementation of an international convention that is also a target in the SDGs contribute to promoting interlinkages and intersectorality.

Ms. Cara Williams, Assistant Director, International Cooperation and Methodology Innovation Centre (Canada)

II.b Model policy on preventing tobacco industry interference among the UN agencies and integration of the WHO FCTC in the broader SDG agenda.

Dr. Nick Banatvala, Head, Secretariat of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO

Dr Ruediger Krech, Director, Health Promotion, World Health Organization

Civil society views: integration of the WHO FCTC in the SDG agenda

Mr Francis Thompson, Executive Director, Strategy and Policy, Framework

Convention Alliance on Tobacco Control

Questions and answers

Summary and closure

Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Convention Secretariat

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