Intergovernmental Negotiating Body on a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products

First session 11-16 February 2008
(02/11/08)

Searo Meeting

The South East Asia Region chose a new regional coordinator. The former coordinator was Thailand. All states agreed on saying that the coordinator for the regional bureau and the coordinator for INB should be the same person in order to avoid duplication.
Searo members decided not to go further and to put an end at the meeting. All parties where asked to read out the several documents for the group to discuss them on Tuesday February the 12th.
Thailand, Sri Lanka and India stated that they would take the floor during the 1rst plenary session.

Plenary session

Opening of the session:
The chair made a speech stating the number of parties to the convention: 152 as of now. 23 international intergovernmental organizations and 49 NGOs are currently accredited as observers of the Conference of the State Parties.(Item 4: Progress since the second session of the Conference of the Parties FCTC/COP/INB-IT/1/3)

Election of officers:
Austria on behalf of the EU proposed Doctor Ian Walter Gorge from England. That was the only proposal from the floor and it has been accepted. The new chairperson of the INB then proceeded to the election of the vice chairs representing the 5 regions.
EMRO: Oman; AMRO: Mexico; SEARO: India; AFRO: Ghana; WPRO: Micronesia.
In case the chair is not present, the above order is to retain.

Item 3: Adoption of the Agenda and organization of work:
With the proposal of the chair we moved to intervention of the parties and postponed this item.

Intervention of the parties:
All delegations asked not to split the plenary meeting into 2 sub committee as they use to do because some delegation don’t have enough delegates.
They all made general comments on agenda Item 6: Drafting and negotiation of a protocol on illicit trade in tobacco products (FCTC/COP/INB-IT/1/4). Delegation welcome this draft and will give their specific comments during the 12th session.


Faye Ismaila Pedro