Uruguay Meeting to Discuss Illicit Tobacco Trade

Source from:  tr.itsmyiq.com Dec 5, 2007 12/06/2007

Representatives from 35 countries are gathering in Uruguay today to discuss the need for knowledge-gathering and skill-sharing in combating the illicit trade of tobacco, according to a PR Newswire report. The report claims that this global trade contributes to higher rates of tobacco-related disease and death than otherwise would be the case, helps finance criminal and terrorist groups, and robs governments of billions of dollars in revenue. Today's meeting in Montevideo is aimed at preparing the ground for a February meeting in Geneva when representatives of 151 countries, meeting under the auspices of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, will begin negotiations on an international protocol aimed at eliminating the illicit tobacco trade. Enditem