UN Group Completes 2nd Meeting Aimed at Developing Agreement on Plastic Pollution

Delegations from 169 nations gathered in Paris May 29-June 2 for the second session of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, with the purpose of developing a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution. The first of the five planned sessions took place last November in Uruguay.

The diverse group encountered challenges in achieving consensus on procedural issues, delaying negotiations on issues related to plastic pollution for days. Finally, participants split into two contact groups for discussion of the possible approaches to protecting human health and the environment from plastic pollution.

Contact Group 1 discussed possible core obligations of the agreement, identified by the first INC meeting. Facilitators reported broad support for obligations to protect human health and reduce leakage of microplastics into the environment. Members called for intersessional work to define categorizations like “problematic”, “avoidable”, and “of concern”.

Simultaneously, Contact Group 2 discussed possible approaches to implementation and debated their merits. Facilitators reported convergence on the use of national action plans, the need for a scientific and technical body to ensure an evidence basis for the instrument, and supporting capacity building with financial assistance and technology transfer.

Intersessional work will be conducted ahead of November’s session in Nairobi, including a zero draft of the agreement to be written by the INC chair. The 4^th and 5th sessions will be held in Canada and South Korea, respectively. The UN has targeted the end of 2024 for completing negotiations.