Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

Ambassador Dacio Castillo (Honduras)
12 PROPOSED MEASURE BY NEW ZEALAND: NOTIFICATION CIRCULATED IN DOCUMENT G/TBT/N/NZL/62, DATED 24 JULY 2012, ON A PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE PLAIN PACKAGING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN New Zealand
12.35. The representative of Australia said his delegation welcomed New Zealand's decision to legislate for tobacco plain packaging, which put it on track to become the second country in the world to implement this measure. Tobacco plain packaging was a legitimate measure, designed to achieve a fundamental objective – the protection of human health. All WTO Members had to confront the global tobacco epidemic. He said that the joint WTO-WHO-WIPO study "Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation" launched in February 2013 had confirmed that tobacco use represented the second highest global risk for mortality in the world (after high blood pressure) and was responsible for the deaths of almost one in ten adults worldwide. 12.36. He said that Australia and New Zealand were both parties to the FCTC which recommended plain packaging in the implementation guidelines for Articles 11 and 13 of the Convention. The tobacco plain packaging measure was endorsed by leading public health experts as well as the WHO and was supported by extensive research reports and studies. Australia was of the firm view that Members had the right to implement measures necessary to protect public health, while complying with relevant international treaty obligations. His delegation appreciated New Zealand's consistently strong support for Australia's measure, including in meetings of this Council, and looked forward to supporting New Zealand as it developed its own measures.
IP/C/M/72