The meeting was held with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health of Russia, and was attended by the Director of Public Health Department and Communications of the Ministry of Russia, Oleg Salagay, the acting special representative of the WHO in Russia Dr Haik Nikogosian. The Convention Secretariat was invited to participate in the meeting and was represented by Rodrigo Santos Feijo.

Major tobacco producing companies (British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, JTI and Gallaher) and some of the producers of tipping paper (Tann UK, Tannpapier, Benkert and Deutsche Benkert) appealed to the Court of Appeal against the order of Green J dismissing their applications for judicial review of the lawfulness of the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 (“Regulations”). The appeals were heard over a period of four days in October and judgment was handed down on 30 November 2016.