We are writing to express our opposition to the Director-General candidacy of Dr. Julio Frenk, and to encourage you not to lend your support to him.

There are many enormous public health challenges confronting the world. Among the most serious is the toll of death and disease exacted by cigarette smoking.

We are concerned that Dr. Frenk, in his capacity as Mexican Minister of Health, entered into a negotiation with the multinational tobacco industry. The result was an agreement by which the industry made a modest financial contribution to a health insurance fund. But the deal made the health ministry an effective partner with the tobacco industry, gave the industry a public relations boost and political cover to deter future regulation, and by its terms directly undermined the government's ability to enact effective tobacco control measures.

Every candidate for Director General has indicated the importance they place on tobacco control. Only Dr. Frenk has reported entering into a negotiation with the multinational tobacco companies. Unfortunately, rather than state that the negotiation was a mistake and violation of the spirit of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Dr. Frenk continues to insist it was proper.

We do not doubt Dr. Frenk's commitment to advancing a global health agenda. But on the crucial matter of international tobacco control, we believe that his involvement with the agreement with the tobacco industry -- which he refuses to renounce -- disqualifies him as a final candidate for the Director-General post. We therefore urge you not to support his candidacy.

International
Global Smokefree Partnership
International Union Against Cancer (UICC)

Algeria
Le Club Scientifique de la Faculté des Sciences Médicales, Sétif

Argentina
Ministerio de Salud de la Provincia De Córdoba
Unión Antitabáquica Argentina (UATA)

Barbados
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados

Benin
Que Choisir Benin

Brazil
Aliança de Controle do Tabagismo

Burundi
Solidarité pour le Redressement des Toxicomanes

Cameroon
Actions Contre Tabac
Association LIFE
Action pour le Volontariat et la Solidarité des Jeunes(AVSJ)
Coalition Panafricaine d'Études et d'Actions de Controle de Tabac (CPEACT) (Africa-wide)

Canada
l'Unité Québécoise de Recherche sur le Tabagisme

Chad
Association pour la defense des droits des consommateurs (ADC)

Chile
CIPRESS Foundation
Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad de Concepción

Colombia
Campaña NO tabaco

Costa Rica
FUPRODENOF

El Salvador
Centro para la Defensa del Consumidor (CDC)
EXFUSAL (Asociación de exfumadores salvadoreños)

Finland
Finnish Lung Health Association (Filha)

France
Comité National Contre le Tabagisme (CNCT)

Georgia
The FCTC Implementation and Monitoring Center in Georgia

Honduras
Acción para la Promoción de Ambientes Libres de Tabaco (APALTA)

India
Asha Trust
Indian Society Against Smoking
Development Media Resource Centre (DMRC)
Samadhan Samiti
Tambakoo Kills MONiTOR publication

Japan
Japanese Society for Tobacco Control

Kenya
SocialNEEDS Network

Luxembourg
Union Europeenne des Non-fumeurs (UEN)/European Union of Nonsmokers

Madagascar
Croix Bleue Malagasy

Mauritius
VISA

Mexico
Proyecto "Tabaquismo en la Comunidad Universitaria"

Mozambique
Mozambican Public Health Association (AMOSAPU)

Niger
SOS Tabagisme-Niger

Nigeria
Consumer Protection Organisation of Nigeria (CPON)
Human and Environmental Development Agenda
Journalists Action on Tobacco & Health
Nigerian Environmental Society
People Against Drug Dependence & Ignorance
Tobacco Free Youth

Norway
Norwegian Cancer Society

Philippines
Filipino Consumers Will
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Philippines Alliance

Pakistan
The Network for Consumer Protection

Panama
Coalición Panameña contra el Tabaquismo (COPACET)

Peru
Comisión Nacional permanente de Lucha Antitabaquica (COLAT-PERÚ)

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Antismoking Society

Scotland, UK
ASH Scotland

Serbia
Institute of Occupational Health, Belgrade
Institute of Public Health of Serbia

Spain
Comité Nacional Para La Prevención Del Tabaquismo (CNPT)

Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Association "Life without Smoke"

Sri Lanka
Alcohol and Drug Information Centre

Switzerland
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) (Europe-wide)

Tanzania
Tanzania Tobacco Control Forum

Togo
ONG ATLAT
Le RONIER/ONG

Uganda
Health & Environmental Rights Organisation (HERO-UGANDA)

United Status
Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights
Essential Action
Tobacco Control Law and Policy Consulting

Uruguay
Alianza Nacional para el Control del Tabaco
Asociación Civil Fumadores Pasivos Uruguayos
Comisión para el Control del Tabaquismo del Sindicato Médico del Uruguay
Red por un Uruguay Libre de Tabaco (RULTA)

Venezuela
Fundación Venezolana del Corazón

Zambia
Zambia Consumers Association