The bold dare by Saint Kitts and Nevis at COP11: What to expect on harm reduction at COP12
Sponsored by Harm Reduction Exchange
During the recently concluded 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Geneva, Saint Kitts and Nevis tabled a proposal on harm reduction strategies in tobacco control. The Global Alliance on Tobacco Control (GATC), an NGO network aligned with the FCTC, awarded the delegation a ‘Dirty Ashtray’ award for the move. Civil society groups claimed the proposal reflected industry-aligned positions, prompting strong pushback from the largely anti-industry advocacy community.
Two opposing draft decisions were tabled. Brazil’s text sought tougher restrictions and an expanded definition of nicotine addiction, while Saint Kitts tabled a more open, evidence-driven approach aligned with the harm reduction model.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis proposal deserves a closer look. Its main purpose was to urge the Conference of the Parties to take harm reduction seriously. To achieve this, it called for the creation of a working group that would be open to all Parties, ensure regional balance, operate primarily through virtual meetings, and hold at least two in-person sessions.
The group would be tasked with assessing evidence on harm reduction interventions, including academic research, regulations, and experiences from other Parties. It would study harm reduction approaches from other public-health sectors, such as HIV, drug and alcohol addiction and pollution to evaluate their relevance for tobacco control.
The proposal also recommended inviting Parties to submit best practices, seeking input from UN agencies and intergovernmental organisations with relevant expertise, and recommending evidence-based measures to reduce relative risk and population harm from tobacco and nicotine use.
Additionally, the working group would standardise terminology for harm reduction interventions to distinguish them from industry-linked ‘tobacco harm reduction’ claims and invite civil-society organisations to share relevant experiences, consistent with Article 5.3. A full report from this working group is expected to be presented at COP12 in 2027.
However, the time to debate this proposal fully ran out, and the matter was postponed to the next COP session. Meanwhile, delegates went ahead and imposed a ban on all tobacco and nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, across all UN premises as a low-hanging but symbolic fruit – a sign of the increasingly prohibition-oriented tone rather than practical regulation.
This COP season also pushed for higher tobacco taxes, urging countries to meet the WHO’s recommended 75 percent tax burden.
While the Saint Kitts and Nevis bid for harm reduction may appear to have failed, this is the first time that Parties formally confronted the novel nicotine products and how they fit into the Framework Convention.
Public-health activists, as expected, pushed for the strict rules applied to cigarettes to also be extended to the entire category, despite scientific disagreement and evidence from several countries showing improved cessation outcomes when adult smokers switch to lower-risk products.
Industry and harm reduction experts, on the other hand, decried these moves, arguing that these alternatives remove pragmatic quitting options for millions of adult smokers. This disagreement made it the most divisive issue at the COP11 meeting, as civil society groups attacked the latter proposal as “industry-backed”. Yet their position largely dismissed credible scientific evidence supporting harm reduction pathways. With no agreement after hours of debate, the issue was deferred to 2027.
The Secretariat, as expected, pledged to tighten controls on participation ahead of COP12, where key issues such as flavours, environmental claims, liability, and the scientific basis for harm reduction policies will resurface.
This marks the first time that COP has had to confront the tobacco industry’s position on harm reduction directly, forcing Parties to face the complex debate around novel nicotine products head-on. While COP11 did not adopt any immediate policy changes, stakeholders can expect a thorough review of harm reduction at COP12. The meeting is expected to hold long-awaited discussions on balancing public health objectives with adult smokers’ access to lower-risk alternatives.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis proposal did not fail. Rather, it opened the doors to dialogue and set the stage for what promises to be a high-stakes clash of ideologies at the next COP: Pragmatism versus prohibition.
