Glossary
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
The first global public health treaty, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2003 to tackle the causes of the tobacco epidemic that cross national borders.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, often shortened to WHO FCTC, is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The World Health Assembly adopted it on 21 May 2003, and it entered into force on 27 February 2005.
It was developed in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic and aims to tackle causes that cross borders, including tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship beyond national borders and illicit trade in tobacco products. It has become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in United Nations history. By 2025, 182 countries and the European Union had become parties.
WHO tracks how far countries have implemented the parts of the treaty that act on demand for tobacco, and one of the Sustainable Development Goal targets calls for strengthening its implementation in all countries.
Sources
- WHO FCTC Secretariat, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Primary
- World Health Organization, WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000 to 2024 and projections 2025 to 2030
Checked 27 September 2026