Amidst the ongoing Third UN Ocean Conference in the coastal city of Nice, a group of delegates expressed their determination to finalize a global treaty this year that would regulate plastics throughout their entire life cycle.
Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, who attended the meeting and is leading the treaty negotiations, shared that there is a renewed commitment to conclude the treaty in August. She emphasized the urgency of the issue and the need to take action now rather than in the future.
The informal gathering, hosted by Inger Andersen, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), marked a significant diplomatic moment, indicating that political momentum may finally be catching up with scientific concerns after two years of deliberations.
Negotiators now face pressure to deliver the first legally binding treaty aimed at addressing plastic pollution across production, consumption, and waste, with one final round of talks scheduled for August in Geneva.
Plastic waste has become pervasive in almost every ecosystem on Earth, including the human body in the form of microplastics. Without immediate action, the annual amount of plastic entering the ocean could reach 37 million metric tons by 2040, according to UN estimates.
Ms. Mathur-Filipp stated, “We are suffocating in plastic. If we do not take steps to address plastic pollution, we will have no ecosystems left, whether on land or in the ocean.”
The economic impact is also significant, with projected costs of plastic-related damage reaching $281 trillion between 2016 and 2040. Ms. Mathur-Filipp, who is originally from India, noted the toll on industries such as tourism, fishing, and coastal and wetland damage.
The treaty process was initiated in 2022 at the request of the UN Environment Assembly, and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) has met five times in less than two years, a rapid timeline by UN standards.
Ms. Mathur-Filipp, who serves as the INC’s Executive Secretary, hopes that the upcoming session in August will bring the treaty to a conclusion.
A significant breakthrough occurred six months ago at the last round of talks in Busan, South Korea, where delegates produced a 22-page “Chair’s text” outlining the draft treaty’s basic structure. This has allowed countries to begin negotiations based on specific articles and has increased the likelihood of a successful conclusion.
The current draft of the treaty includes measures that target the entire life cycle of plastic, from production to waste management, and includes both mandatory and voluntary provisions, in line with the original UN mandate.
The draft also outlines the institutional framework of a typical multilateral treaty, including the ratification process, governance rules, and proposed implementation bodies.
If all goes according to plan, the final text will be presented at a diplomatic conference later this year or in early 2026, where governments can formally adopt it and begin the ratification process.
Although plastic pollution is a global issue, some countries, particularly small island developing states, bear a disproportionate burden.
Ms. Mathur-Filipp stated, “Small island developing states are not the ones using plastic as much as what is washing up on their shores, making them responsible for beach clean-up that is not their doing. They are unfairly impacted.”
Approximately 18 to 20 percent of global plastic waste ends up in the ocean.
Prior to leading the INC, Ms. Mathur-Filipp worked at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, where she played a role in shaping the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an agreement to protect 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030. She is familiar with the challenge of managing a fast-paced, high-stakes negotiation.
She stated, “I wasn’t tired enough there, so now I’m doing this.”
As the host city for the Mediterranean UNOC3, Nice is playing a crucial role in building momentum, and all eyes will be on Geneva in the weeks ahead. The outcome of the August session could determine whether the world takes a decisive step towards addressing the plastic crisis or allows it to worsen unchecked.