From August 01, 2016 to January 31, 2018, the project on “Strengthening tobacco control legislation in Azerbaijan” has conducted by the Public Health and Reforms Center (PHRC) of the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan Republic with support from the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The main goal of the project is to strengthen of the relevant legislation on tobacco control, especial Bill “On restriction of tobacco use”, as well as the implementation of the restrictive measures directed especially to creation of smoke free public places in partnership with government and civil society.

To achieve this goal were conducted activities to improve of appropriate legislation, built of wide support and conduct of complex promotion for effective implementation, within the main partners, civil society and decision makers for adaptation national tobacco control legislation in line of international experience and norms, as well as articles of World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and Guidelines for its implementation.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is the first international agreement regulating production, sale and use of tobacco products. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 21, 2003 and entered into force on February 27, 2005. Since then, the Convention has been one of the most widely recognized agreements of the United Nations.Up to date, the Convention has 181 Parties, including Azerbaijan joined in 2005.

The project implementation has coincided with the 10th anniversary of Azerbaijan joining to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It is important that this project corresponds to Decree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic dated December 23, 2015, on adopted the “Strategy on non-communicable diseases control for 2015-2020”, and in line with goals and objectives of the Ministry of Health Activity plan on implementation of this Strategy, and in particular, with the activity on “Development of proposals on strengthening appropriate legislation based on analysis of compliance of legal acts of the Azerbaijan Republic to the Guidelines for implementation WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control articles”.