The New Delhi Declaration

Recognizing the indisputable scientific evidence establishing that tobacco consumption in any form and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke are causally linked to numerous causes of death, disease and disability,

Recognizing also that cigarettes are among the most highly engineered consumer products, designed to create and maintain addiction and containing over 4000 compounds, many of which are pharmacologically active, toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic, 

Recognizing further that 4 million people die each year from tobacco related diseases and that this number is expected to rise to 10 million deaths per year within the next 25 years, with 70% of these deaths occurring in developing countries, 

Deeply concerned about the global spread of the tobacco epidemic and the dramatic increase in the worldwide consumption and production of cigarettes and other tobacco products in the last several decades, particularly in developing countries, 

Deeply concerned also about the escalation in smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption especially by women, children and indigenous peoples worldwide, 

Deploring all direct and indirect advertising, marketing, promotion, sponsorship and other practices by the tobacco industry aimed at encouraging the use of tobacco by children and young adults, 

Recognizing that the tobacco epidemic is a problem of global dimension that calls for immediate national action and the widest possible cooperation by all countries in an effective and coordinated international response.

Recognizing also that The World Bank report has clearly shown that tobacco price increases, tobacco advertising bans and controls on smoking in public places are effective strategies for reducing tobacco consumption, 

Mindful of the difficulties in adopting and implementing effective national tobacco control programmes, including comprehensive tobacco control legislation in countries in which public health resources are limited and tobacco industry pressure is overwhelming, 

Recalling the preamble of the Constitution of the World Health Organization which provides that "the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition",

Recognizing the need for international consensus on the right to be fully informed about the addictive and damaging nature of nicotine and the right to a smoke-free environment, 

Emphasizing the contribution that nongovernmental organizations, including health professional bodies, women, youth, consumer, and environmental groups, academic institutions, media, private industry, hospitals and other members of civil society make to tobacco control efforts,

    Therefore, we the participants at the WHO International Conference on Global Tobacco Control Law: Towards a WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, strongly recommend that:

1. Governments urgently develop and implement multisectoral national tobacco control strategies, including comprehensive tobacco control legislation. To this end, governments should establish mechanisms to monitor and enforce implementation of all tobacco control laws and regulations. 

2. Governments support the development, ratification and implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to encourage comprehensive national tobacco control action and global coordination on aspects of tobacco control that transcend national boundaries. The WHO FCTC and key related protocols should be adopted by 2003 or earlier. 

3. The complex circumstances faced by developing countries in implementing effective national tobacco control strategies should be addressed in the FCTC. The FCTC should include a mechanism to assist countries in which public health resources are limited and tobacco industry pressure is overwhelming in developing and implementing comprehensive national tobacco control programmes. Industralized countries should support the establishment and strengthening of effective national tobacco control programmes in developing countries. Such programmes should include, but not be limited to, building sustainable capacity in national and international tobacco control strategies, including legislation; assisting with the treatment of tobacco dependence; and assisting research into alternative livelihoods for tobacco workers and alternative uses of tobacco. 

4. The tobacco industry be held publicly accountable at the national and international level through legislation, litigation and other means. 

5. Given the impact of tobacco products on public health, WHO should coordinate closely with regional and international trade organizations to ensure that tobacco control measures and trade liberalization measures are complementary. 

6. Nongovernmental organizations, including health professional bodies, women, youth, consumer and environmental groups; academic institutions; private industry; media; hospitals; and other members of civil society should take an active role in tobacco control initiatives at the subnational, national, regional and global levels.