In other words, many of the core articles that I was
The text of the draft PA (version dated 16 April 2025) contains 37 articles. The language of controversial ones has been much watered down to reach consensus, considerably softening States' obligations and leaving key areas of implementation to the future COP and annexes. Notably, the language found in earlier drafts of the text, stating or implying the imposition of binding obligations on the agreement's signatories, has been removed. In its place are wishy-washy, unenforceable expressions of WHO hopes and dreams like "may," "where appropriate" and "when mutually agreed."
The Health Assembly shall have authority to adopt conventions or agreements with respect to any matter within the competence of the Organization. A two-thirds vote of the Health Assembly shall be required for the adoption of such conventions or agreements, which shall come into force for each Member when accepted by it in accordance with its constitutional processes. That legalistic blather may sound innocuous, but, like most bureaucratic blather,
In January 2025, Newton's City Council passed an ordinance so absurd, it could only have been conceived by people who think authority equals wisdom. By a vote of 19 to 4, the Council approved a "generational ban" on tobacco products. Anyone born after March 1, 2004, will never -- ever -- be allowed to purchase tobacco in the city. Not at 21, not at 35, not at 55. It's a lifetime prohibition based solely on your birth year. Hmmm. Is this ban on tobacco purchases imposed on anyone born after March 1, 2004, in any way related to Ireland's precedent-setting March 2004 nationwide smoking ban?