After two years of government negotiations, a meeting has been convened in South Korea to create a legally binding global agreement that covers both land and marine environments. This may seem like a short amount of time in the world of diplomacy, where it can take decades to reach multilateral agreements.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the world is currently facing a crisis of plastic pollution. He urged delegates to push for a deal, citing the alarming statistics of 460 million tonnes of plastic produced each year and the prediction that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson expressed hope for a potentially historic deal and stressed the importance of taking action now. She highlighted the widespread support for a global agreement, including from the G20 group of industrialized nations, waste pickers, civil society groups, businesses, indigenous people, and scientists.
The talks, officially known as the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee discussions (INC-5), have attracted over 170 countries and 600 observer organizations. South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol urged delegates to come to an agreement for the sake of future generations, acknowledging the detrimental effects of plastic waste on the environment and human health.
The talks aim to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. This is the fifth round of negotiations, which began 1,000 days ago in Uruguay. In contrast, some plastics can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, causing long-lasting harm to ecosystems and human health.
In his message to the meeting, the UN Secretary-General stressed the need for an ambitious, credible, and just treaty. This should address the entire life cycle of plastics, including reducing single-use and short-lived plastics, proper waste management, and promoting alternative materials. It should also ensure that vulnerable communities, such as waste pickers, are not left behind in the transition.