KATHMANDU, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The South-East Asian Conference on the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) kicked off in Nepali capital Kathmandu on Tuesday.

    Nearly 50 people working in the government and non-government sector in 11 countries including Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Philippines and France are taking part in the conference held for the first time in Nepal.

    The conference organized by the Health and Population Ministry and Primary Health Center jointly is expected to review the implementation condition of the convention, discuss the challenges seen during its implementation and prepare the future strategy as well.

    Despite Nepal had signed the FCTC ratification in December 2003,the bill for its approval has not been passed yet following the ongoing House obstruction.

    Speaking at the inaugural session of the conference, secretaries at the ministry Sudha Sharma and Pravin Mishra informed that Nepal has already prepared the bill on tobacco control and presented it to the cabinet for the approval.

    Center director Shanta Lal Mulmi, WHO Nepal representative Alexander and Framework Convention Alliance Shoba Jon were also among those speaking in the session.