Commentary on the Guidelines for the Implementation of the who Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

The Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has adopted Guidelines for the implementation of eight provisions of the Convention. Some legal scholars argue that the Guidelines are binding and efficacious. This paper rejects this assertion. It asserts that on a true and proper interpretation of the Guidelines on the basis of the rules of the Vienna Convention of the Law of Treaties, they are nothing more than soft law.