On 27 February 2005, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) entered
into force and became legally binding for the contracting countries, referred to as the Parties to the
Convention. Five of the first 40 countries that ratified the Convention are in the African Region.1
As
of 31 December 2014, 43 of the 47 countries in the African Region had ratified or acceded to the
WHO FCTC (38 ratifications2
and five accessions3
).
Parties to the WHO FCTC have the obligation to report periodically to the Conference of the Parties
on their progress in implementing the Convention. Parties in the African Region are therefore
obliged to submit reports to the Conference of the Parties within the reporting cycles. To date, 34
Parties4
have submitted at least one report on their progress in implementing the Convention.
In 2005, the Fifty-fifth session of the Regional Committee for the African Region reviewed the first
report on implementation of the WHO FCTC in the Region5
and endorsed the proposed actions. The
Regional Committee recommended that Member States ratify the WHO FCTC, develop and
implement comprehensive tobacco control legislation and adopt national plans of action in
accordance with their obligations under the Convention.
In 2013, the Sixty-third session of the Regional Committee for the African Region reviewed and
endorsed the second report on implementation of the WHO FCTC in the Region.6
The Regional
Committee recommended that countries accelerate implementation of the Convention by
prioritizing enforcement of existing laws, allocating adequate resources proportionate to the burden
of tobacco and intensifying South–South collaboration.
This 10-year report highlights the achievements made in the African Region in implementing the
WHO FCTC during the period February 2005 to December 2014.