Global Initiative against Illegal Trade and Related Crimes Receives 157 Applications in Second Funding Round

LAUSANNE, Switzerland-Tuesday, November 28th 2017 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE/Euronext Paris: PM) announced today that PMI IMPACT, its global initiative to support third party projects dedicated to fighting illegal trade and related crimes, received 157 expressions of interest for its second funding round.

The applications come from a range of government agencies, public universities, private companies, and not-for-profit organizations across 56 countries in Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, the EU, and the US.

“The Expert Council is encouraged by the substantial number of responses to our invitation for expressions of interest in combatting illegal trade in all its forms. It is gratifying to receive such sustained support for the initiative taken by PMI IMPACT to get all relevant stakeholders to work together,” stated Navi Pillay, member of the PMI IMPACT Expert Council. “We will be reviewing the applications and will make a selection of the successful candidates shortly.”

The second funding round of PMI IMPACT focuses on projects that will tackle converging forms of illegal trade such as the smuggling and counterfeiting of goods, human trafficking, and the trade in drugs, arms, and wildlife. This round also examines the interlinks of illegal trade with related crimes, including corruption, money laundering, and organized criminal networks.

“We would like to thank all applicants for their proposals. Our hope is that PMI IMPACT will be a global enabler for innovative projects against illegal trade, and we are encouraged to see this initiative materialize and evolve year after year” stated Alvise Giustiniani, PMI’s Vice President Illicit Trade Strategies & Prevention.

Following the review of the expressions of interest, selected applicants will be invited to submit their full project proposals in early 2018 for further evaluation and final selection by the PMI IMPACT Expert Council, a body of external independent experts in the fields of law, anti-corruption, human rights, and law enforcement.

PMI has pledged USD 100 million for three funding rounds of PMI IMPACT. 32 projects were selected for funding in the initiative’s first round, with allocated grants of approximately USD 28 million.

More information on the initiative is available on the PMI IMPACT website.

About Philip Morris International Inc. (“PMI”)

PMI is a leading international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15 international brands and products sold in more than 180 markets. In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, including Marlboro, the number one global cigarette brand, and other tobacco products, PMI is engaged in the development and commercialization of reduced-risk products (“RRPs”). RRPs is the term PMI uses to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continued smoking. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry-leading scientific substantiation, PMI aims to provide an RRP portfolio that meets a broad spectrum of adult smoker preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, see PMI and PMI Science.

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