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Below is the text of a letter sent by FCAP to each of our senators on
behalf of the Filipino people, urging them to ratify the FCTC.
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October 20, 2004
Senator _____________
The Philippine Senate
GSIS Bldg., Financial Center
Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
Dear Senator_____________,
Mabuhay!
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an evidence-based
health treaty that our country helped negotiate. Its unanimous approval
by the 192 member countries of WHO at the World Health Assembly on May
21, 2003 shows the international consensus behind the conclusions and
provisions in the FCTC. The Philippines signed the FCTC last Sept. 23,
2003, and we need to follow up on this commitment to protect public health
with ratification by the Philippine Senate.
We urge you to ratify at the earliest possible time for the following
reasons:
- All people have
the right to the highest standard of health.
- Tobacco-related
disease kills over 4 million people worldwide, including 20,000 Filipinos,
each year. Without urgent action, this number could double in the next
15 years.
- Ratification and
implementation of the FCTC will save countless lives.
- Shortly 40 countries
will have ratified the FCTC. Once this happens, the FCTC will enter
into force; our country will display leadership by being among the first
40 ratifications.
- If our country
does not ratify the FCTC, it will be left out from the Conference of
the Parties, the governing body of the FCTC.
- Japan, a country
that fought the FCTC while it was being negotiated, has ratified. If
they were able to ratify, so can we.
- There will be
a meeting on the FCTC by the Intergovernmental Working Group in Geneva,
January 31-February 04, 2005. Our country should ratify before sending
a delegation to this meeting.
The instrument of
ratification must be deposited at UN Headquarters in New York. This can
be done by a country's New York-based representative to the UN. Authorization
from a country's Head of State or Minister of Foreign Affairs can be signed
to give any person the authority to ratify on behalf of a country; this
is typically the country's Ambassador at the UN. More information can
be found in the UN Treaty Handbook, which is available online at (http://untreaty.un.org/English/TreatyHandbook/hbframeset.htm).
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines (FCAP)
is appealing to our distinguished senators to ratify this landmark treaty.
We know that once this treaty has been ratified, we will be another step
closer to ensuring good health for all Filipinos, particularly in relation
to the tobacco epidemic.
RATIFY THE FCTC NOW!
Very truly yours,
MA. ENCARNITA BLANCO-LIMPIN, MD
President, FCAP
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