Few industries experience as much regulatory scrutiny as tobacco, which is why the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is known for being one of the most embraced in the whole of the United Nations. COP11 provided an opportunity for entities across the globe to meet and discuss this framework.
This is a topic worth following for any nicotine pouch users hoping to be on top of what’s happening in the legislative world, and this guide runs through the main topics discussed at the conference. They include environmental sustainability, marketing, and how new nicotine pouches should be treated.
Those interested may also enjoy reading our takeaways from the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum 2025.
Key takeaways
- COP11 is part of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a global initiative dedicated to tobacco control, with conferences held every other year.
- Environmental sustainability was a major topic, with Parties agreeing on the need to reduce packaging waste and pollution.
- Another key theme was how new nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, should be treated from a legal and regulatory perspective.
What is COP 11 on Tobacco Control?
Conferences of the Parties (COP) is a body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), a global agreement dedicated to sustainability in various areas. Almost 200 countries are part of the agreement.
Meanwhile, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is a treaty made up of 162 “Parties,” including international organizations and government representatives, to control tobacco use. It has been in existence for 20 years, and a conference is held every other year to discuss its goals.
Andrew Black, Acting Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC, describes its importance as follows: “These important decisions made by Parties to the Convention will contribute towards saving millions of lives in the years to come and protecting the planet from the environmental harms of tobacco."
The COP11 to the WHO FCTC is the eleventh meeting, and it took place in Geneva from 17-22 November 2025.
A Summary of the WHO FCTC’s Progress So Far
The convention included a discussion of the body’s Global Progress Report on the implementation of the WHO FCTC so far.
Some of the main findings included:
- The adoption or revision of tobacco control regulations has sped up over the last three years.
- Many Parties are increasing excise taxes on smoked tobacco products, but they haven’t taken the same approach toward emerging nicotine products
- Several Parties extended regulations on advertising and sponsorships to novel tobacco and nicotine products, and there is more talk of introducing bans (on certain nicotine and tobacco products, or all of them).
- The top priorities reported were cessation initiatives, the development or amendment of regulations, and public awareness programs.
The Need for Environmental Protection
Sustainability was a major focus at the conference. There were discussions about how the materials involved in nicotine and tobacco products contribute to pollution.
This is one benefit of nicotine pouches compared to other nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes (which involve many temporary parts that have to be thrown away). However, there is still work to be done.
Many nicotine pouch manufacturers have made some progress. Some now use recyclable cans, and others offer jumbo cans so that less packaging is needed.
The Global Progress Report noted that there’s been more momentum about extended producer responsibility (meaning manufacturers have a duty to understand the life cycle of their products) in recent years. Also, topics like plastic pollution and the circular economy have grown.
The conference adopted a decision to consider regulatory options related to components of nicotine and tobacco products that affect environmental health.
Availability and Marketing of Nicotine Products
The Government of Belgium organized a discussion about the availability and marketing of new tobacco and nicotine products.
This included a discussion on nicotine addiction among young people. It’s also an issue the FDA considers when deciding whether to issue a manufacturer a PMTA for their nicotine pouch.
In more extreme cases, there are flavor bans — this is the case for nicotine pouches in California, for instance.
It also called for a ban on the use and sale of tobacco products and novel nicotine products — including nicotine pouches — in United Nations premises outdoors and indoors.
Treatment of New Nicotine Products
Nicotine pouches fall under the “new nicotine pouches” category, alongside e-cigarettes. For the first time at a COP, it was discussed how to address these products within the Framework Convention.
The Convention has stringent protocols to prevent nicotine addiction, which are applied to traditional cigarettes.
It’s a contentious issue in the United States too, and different states have taken distinct paths — some have placed taxes as high as 95% on nicotine pouches (Washington), while others have very limited regulations in place.
