ATF Releases Executive Summary of
International Conference on Illicit Tobacco Trade
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) announces the release
of the Co-Chairpersons'
Executive Summary of the proceedings of the International Conference
on Illicit Tobacco Trade (ICITT) held at United Nations Headquarters from
July 30 to August 1, 2002. Interested parties can view and print the summary
at http://www.atf.treas.gov/tobacco/icitt/execsum/index.htm.
The report highlights the deliberations of law enforcement, customs,
and taxation and revenue experts from 142 Member States of the World Health
Organization (WHO) who met to identify best practices to combat illicit
tobacco trade. Delegates focused on licensing, record keeping, labeling
and packaging, product tracking and tracing, border controls, and mutual
cooperation and information sharing approaches.
ICITT Co-Chairpersons David Benton, ATF Deputy Director, and Arthur J.
Libertucci, ATF Assistant Director for Alcohol and Tobacco, prepared the
summary as a timely
compilation of the conclusions reached by the working groups at the ICITT.
A more comprehensive final report will follow after a review of the record
of the conference.
"ATF is very pleased that delegates from nearly three quarters of
the world shared a wealth of ideas from a diversity of experiences in
combating illicit tobacco trade," said Libertucci, noting that the
Chairpersons had committed to distributing this executive summary shortly
after the close of the conference.
ATF will present this executive
summary and the final report to the WHO's Framework Convention on
Tobacco Controls (FCTC) in Geneva. The reports will provide examples of
best practices to combat illicit tobacco trade and smuggling, and will
work to further the FCTC's health-related goals. Moreover, the reports
will serve as a reference for governments at the national, sub-national,
and local levels seeking to enhance their regulatory controls to prevent
unlawful distribution of tobacco products. The best practices documented
in the reports serve to create or strengthen sound and lawful distribution
systems of tobacco products, thereby ensuring that governments collect
tobacco revenues rightly due them. Increased revenues provide governments
with resources to carry out public policies and programs including healthcare
and the prevention of access to tobacco products by minors.
For more information, please visit http://www.atf.treas.gov/tobacco/icitt/index.htm
Executive Summary in:
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