Netherlands to host global anti-tobacco conference in 2020
The Netherlands will organize and host a global World Health Organization conference against tobacco in 2020, was announced in Geneva on Saturday during the closing ceremony of the 8th Conference of Parties of the so-called WHO-FCTC treaty. State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health took the initiative to bring the conference to the Netherlands, ANP reports.
"Around two hundred countries and organizations come together at this conference to curb the tobacco industry's influence, to discourage smoking worldwide and, for example, to limit the damage of tobacco to the environment as much as possible", Blokhuis said. "That is of course very important work which I, on behalf of the Netherlands, put on my shoulders. It is very good news that we are the next host country. That also brings the smoke-free generation one step closer. Both in the Netherlands and globally."
Which city will host the conference has not yet been decided. Blokhuis is considering Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague or Utrecht, according to the news wire.