Countries unite against plastic pollution, agree on new text, future session

December 02, 2024

By Samuel Ogunsona

In a bold step from over 172 countries towards combating plastic pollution, nations negotiating an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution have agreed on a ‘Chair’s Text’ that will serve as the starting point for future negotiations.

The agreement was reached at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, Republic of Korea.

Over 3,300 delegates, representing more than 170 nations and over 440 organizations, participated in the negotiations, which began on November 25.

Through the week, members negotiated two documents by the INC Chair, Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, before agreeing to transmit the Chair’s Text to the resumed session in 2025.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), emphasized the significance of the agreement, stating that “the world’s commitment to ending plastic pollution is clear and undeniable.”

She noted that the negotiations have moved closer to agreeing on a global legally binding treaty that will protect human health, the environment, and the future from plastic pollution.

The Chair’s Text will serve as the foundation for future negotiations, which are expected to continue in 2025. The Committee will request the Executive Director of UNEP to inform delegations of the venue for the resumed fifth session.

Ambassador Vayas encouraged delegations to continue engaging in dialogue, building bridges, and making progress towards a legally binding instrument. He emphasized that “our purpose is noble and urgent: to reverse and remedy the severe effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems and human health”.

The negotiations are part of a broader effort to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

This effort was initiated in March 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), where a historic resolution was adopted to address plastic pollution.