Over two days, young advocates from across the world carried out a series of coordinated activities at Place des Nations in Geneva, next to the emblematic Broken Chair installation. These actions ranged from visual art and live performances to traditional and social media outreach. Beginning on Sunday evening, participants held a candlelit gathering and displayed messages calling attention to the tobacco industry’s manipulative practices. They also urged stronger measures to protect public health and safeguard young people from all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes.
The initiatives were organized with the support of several groups, including OxySuisse, Corporate Accountability, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), CREA (youth-led Latin American organization), ENSPnext, Global Youth Voices, Forum Nikotinprävention und Beratung Schweiz (FNBS), and the Spanish Association Against Cancer.
At the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, civil society organizations staged a public action to illustrate the ongoing influence of the tobacco industry in global health policy. The performance featured a large figure emerging from an oversized cigarette pack and symbolically capturing a youth advocate, underscoring the disproportionate impact of tobacco on younger populations and the industry’s continued targeting of them.
As the figure approached the venue where delegates were meeting for the global tobacco treaty negotiations, advocates intervened to emphasize the need to keep industry interference out of the decision-making process.
“We’re here because people everywhere deserve health, dignity, and a world where corporations cannot profit from harming us. Today, COP11 begins – a historic opportunity to protect public health. Big Tobacco is also here trying to weaken the treaty. We are here with two simple demands:
Kick Big Tobacco Out – every government must submit its DOI form.
Make Big Tobacco Pay – support the article 19 decisions.”
– Daniel Dorado, Tobacco Campaign Director, Corporate Accountability
Global declarations have been promoted, online coverage has been implemented by all present observers, and hashtags and messages such as “Youth lives matter” or “Our health is not for sale” have been used in several languages. This demonstration marked the official launch of civil society’s engagement during the treaty discussions, aiming to draw attention to the risks of industry influence and to reinforce calls for stronger safeguards in public health policymaking.
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