Nations Agree on Draft Treaty to End Illicit Tobacco Trade

 　　After four years of negotiations¹, representatives of 135 nations have unanimously agreed on the text of a protocol² to end the illicit³ trade in tobacco products.  Nations are expected to adopt the protocol, the first under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in November.

　　Governments losing tax revenue

　　The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, or INB, which supervised the drafting of the treaty text, estimates governments lose up to $50 billion a year in tax revenue from the illicit trade in tobacco products.   It estimates that at least 10 percent of global cigarette sales result from smuggling⁴ cigarettes.

　　The chairman of the INB, Ian Walton-George, says the aim of the protocol is to stop this hugely profitable trade.

　　“The finance from this trade is very significant.  It gets into the hands of organizations, which will use it to finance other crime, human trafficking, drugs trafficking, weapons trafficking and even worse,”  he said.

　　Combating tobacco smuggling

　　Walton-George says cracking down on this illicit trade will protect public health because people will not be able to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products cheaply.

　　The protocol sets the rules for combating tobacco smuggling through control of the supply chain.  Parties to the protocol will establish a global tracking system to try to ensure only legal products flow through the market.

　　Walton-George says if any of tobacco products escape into the illegal channels, there will be a way of tracing their origin.

　　“There will be identification markings on the packaging of all these products so that we will be able to find out where they were produced, who they were sold to, how they were transported and, then of course, we start asking the questions, why did it slip out of the genuine market," he explained. "How did it slip out of the genuine market and the parties to the protocol will be able to take action against people if they are failing to properly control the supply chain.”

　　Walton-George tells VOA tobacco smugglers target all markets, not just developing countries.  In fact, he says it is more profitable for them in wealthy countries where taxes are high.

　　“If you get your cigarettes into the market without paying the duties and taxes, you are going to make a very big profit, even if you sell it at half price, you will make a vast amount of money…and the penalties are less than if you were smuggling drugs.”

　　Tobacco companies were barred from participating in the discussions because of concerns they might try to influence the negotiations.

　　After the protocol is adopted, as expected, at the end of the year, 40 ratifications⁵ will be needed for it to enter into force.  The World Health Organization says it could then take up to five years to put the illicit tobacco tracking system into place.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

3 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

4 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

5 ratifications   

n.正式批准，认可( ratification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The ratifications shall be exchanged in Berlin. 批准将交换在柏林。 来自互联网
• After receiving the required 60 ratifications, the Court came into being on 1 July 20060个国家批准该规约后，法院于2002 年7月1日成立。 来自互联网