Making knowledge legitimate: transnational advocacy networks' campaigns against tobacco, infant formula and pharmaceuticals

Abstract

In this article, we examine three different cases in which health activists lobbied the World Health Organization and its member states to regulate the marketing practices of multinational companies. The campaign against tobacco manufacturers resulted in a binding treaty; the campaign against manufacturers of infant formula resulted in a non‐binding code of conduct; and the campaign against pharmaceutical manufacturers failed. We show that existing arguments regarding the success of global social movements and transnational advocacy networks fail to explain the divergent outcomes in these three cases. Instead, we argue that the effectiveness of global advocacy in these cases depended on the level of perceived legitimacy of the knowledge supporting the advocates' claims and on the prestige of the experts participating in the campaigns.

A renewed call for transdisciplinary action on NCDs

“…In particular, research at the intersections of international law and international relations will improve our understanding of how formulation and adoption of new legal norms may be shaped through appropriate framing of problems, solutions and the consistent spread of public messages on NCDs. Or similarly, may require suitable, powerful ‘norm entrepreneurs’ with relevant organizational platforms in early phases of norm development [ 27 , 28 ]. While the success of any normative campaign will depend on many different factors, it is argued that further research into the (successful) framing and lobbying by anti-tobacco interests groups, as well as key figures and key countries, may yield valuable insights into how relevant actors in this sphere worked together successfully, or were supported or thwarted in their efforts to achieve (strong) evidence-based law and policy-intervention.…”

Making Global Policy

“…These networks are norm based. Examples include the transnational campaigns surrounding issues like gender-mainstreaming (True, 2003) as well as policies concerning tobacco, infant formula and pharmaceuticals (Andia and Chorev, 2017;Mamudu et al, 2015). Compared to other network varieties, TANs are like 'outsider groups', as they exercise 'voice' and seek to raise public consciousness on issues to effect policy change, taking full advantage of technological advances in communications that allows the rapid sharing of information and global calls to civic action.…”

Adopting New International Health Instruments – What Can We Learn From the FCTC? Comment on "The Legal Strength of International Health Instruments - What It Brings to Global Health Governance?"

“…Finally, concluding stages of norm adoption would include ( iv ) dialogues between proactive and conservative states, and ( v ) a moment of ‘political’ closure. 15 Political closure presupposes a ‘critical mass of relevant [opposing and supporting] State actors’ adopting the new norm, and is typically referred to as the ‘tipping point’ of a norm. This is the moment after which stages of ( vi ) (soft or hard) ‘legalization’ and ( vii ) institutionalization and operationalization come in sight.…”