Today, 10 August 2026, Andrew Black was selected as the new Head of the WHO FCTC Convention Secretariat for a four-year term.

Black is a public health policymaker with extensive experience in tobacco control. He has been part of the Convention Secretariat since 2016, where he has led implementation assistance to Parties, including the FCTC 2030 project, which has provided support to more than 30 low- and middle-income countries. Before joining the Convention Secretariat, Black led the tobacco control programme at the UK Department of Health and Social Care. During his tenure, the department received the Luther L. Terry Award for exemplary leadership in tobacco control.

Commenting on his appointment, Black said that ending the global tobacco epidemic must remain a priority and that he would focus on supporting governments worldwide in fully implementing the WHO FCTC and its Protocol, with the aim of saving lives and protecting young people from addiction.