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n 1999, tobacco-related disease accounted for 48.5% of all deaths in Cambodia. Tobacco promotion is still allowed, cigarettes are cheap and warnings on packages are very small. This grant will support the development of a proposal for a national tobacco control project. The project will focus, in particular, on the issue of tobacco advertising and promotion, and public opinion regarding smoke-free areas and an advertising ban.

n 1999, tobacco-related disease accounted for 48.5% of all deaths in Cambodia. Tobacco promotion is still allowed, cigarettes are cheap and warnings on packages are very small. This grant will support the development of a proposal for a national tobacco control project. The project will focus, in particular, on the issue of tobacco advertising and promotion, and public opinion regarding smoke-free areas and an advertising ban.

A three year project focussing on diversified agriculture and integrating water followed. Research on health issues found that over 80% of males were smoking and this was having negative effects on their health and economy. Examination of approaches to TOH (Tobacco or Health programs) revealed that it would be best to work at the national government level, so a national program was initiated to combat the problems associated with smoking. This TOH program, initially funded by Australia has continued in an expanding manner. Further proposals have been developed in respect to other health issues, and are currently being reviewed by donors, to enable health to be integrated into existing food security areas in Siem Reap province. Another factor recognised as limiting productivity of rural enterprises was access to affordable credit and lack of cooperative efforts amongst families

Vietnamese and Cambodian police should open liaison offices in border provinces, establish hotlines, and organize more meetings on the issue. They should receive further foreign language training to fight against cross-border drug trafficking more effectively, he said.

We have the science to convince. We know that higher excise taxes make economic sense in addition to reduce smoking, in particular among the young and the poor. We know that smuggling is a problem that must be dealt with independently of the price issue. And we know that in the long term, government divestment of tobacco holdings is responsible policy - both economically and health-wise.

n October, Member States will begin the negotiations on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This will be the first time that the public health community has led treaty negotiations. The process we set in motion has already fostered a global debate and pushed countries as well as tobacco companies to think about their actions from a public health perspective. The success of the FCTC will depend on our ability to link compelling data to robust decisions.

Many countries in this Region have shown a strong and active support for the work towards a Framework Convention. I appreciate this and count on you to continue this support so that the FCTC can become a strong and effective tool for tobacco control.

Cambodia is neither a drug producer, nor a consumer, nor a trafficker country. It may be on a transit route, but Cambodia is a victim of this illegal traffic.

The Royal Government of Cambodia is very displeased and disappointed by its inclusion in the United States list of major illicit drug producing and drug transit countries. This act adversely affects Cambodia's international image and prestige, even though it was later certified and made clear that it had fully cooperated with the international community on this matter.