January 9, 2024
Panama City, Panama

The World Health Organisation-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) Secretariat has hailed the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) for it’s 15 years of consistent support to the AFRO region parties and advocating for the adoption and implementation of tobacco control legislations.

Head of the FCTC Secretariat Adriana Blanco expressed her gratitude when she visited the ATCA booth at the tenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP10) in Panama City, Panama, south America.

“I am very pleased to be here at the ATCA booth, because you know the work of the civil society organisations is so important because it is embedded in the Convention Article 4.7 that talks about the importance of civil society but in Africa, it’s even more important we know that in this 15 years you have been very instrumental to raise the capacity of the parties and to accompany them in their achievement that the African region has got,” Ms Blanco said.

She said the FCTC Secretariat was thankful to ATCA as the a representative of civil society because of the huge help that it has been providing in the region with a lot of countries that really need the support to achieve all the successes they have achieved.

“Going forward ATCA needs to solidify what you have been doing especially with the experience you have collected in the last 15 years you can be even more helpful for the countries and to the human race based on what the COP10 has provided. Because it will be a decision that will show the countries new path that they need to be implementing for the Convention,” Ms Blanco said.