“This Supposed Conflict of Interest”: Analysis of Industry Framings of Partnership and Conflict of Interest in WHO Public Consultations on Alcohol Policy

Background: High-level commitments to engage the private sector in governance and limited attention to managing conflict of interest (COI) have enabled alcohol industry actors to engage with policy development processes. This is recognised as a key barrier to developing effective alcohol policy, and as important to the industry's efforts to position itself as contributing to sustainable development. This paper examines alcohol industry perspectives on governance, particularly with respect to partnerships and COI, submitted during the development of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan. Methods: A frame analysis of 111 submissions from alcohol industry actors to two public consultations held in the development of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022–2030. Results: Alcohol industry actors engaged with two broad frames in their submissions, collaborative and adversarial. Industry submissions overwhelmingly employed the collaborative frame, positioning the alcohol industry as a partner by claiming alignment with policy goals and referencing forms of governance that prioritise industry involvement. Respondents also engaged with a contrasting adversarial frame, most commonly articulated by public health actors, by rejecting the relevance of COI; resisting restriction of the industry's role in governance; and dismissing a potential binding global instrument for alcohol. Conclusion: The alcohol industry places significant value on participating in policy initiatives and is resistant to challenges to its engagement. The WHO Action Plan's continued ambivalence towards the alcohol industry may point towards a challenging environment for effective policy. This underscores a need for stronger norms around COI and a more cautious approach to the alcohol industry.