International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastics Pollution, including in the Marine Environment
The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), in resolution 5/14 in March 2022, requested the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.
This decision followed many years of increasing concern about this growing challenge and efforts to build consensus for how to address it at the global level.
In 1995, UNEP established the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities. Among its achievements was the launch of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter in 2012.
UNEA addressed this challenge beginning at its first meeting in 2014. UNEA 1 adopted a resolution recognizing the emerging global problem and requested that UNEP provide a report on marine plastic and microplastic at UNEA 2. In 2016, parties at UNEA 2 asked UNEP to produce an assessment of the effectiveness of global and regional governance strategies for marine plastics, and to support developing countries in combatting marine litter. In 2017, UNEA 3 reviewed the report on global and regional governance, which showed there is no existing global framework effectively dealing with marine litter and microplastic. In resolution 3/7, UNEA parties established an ad hoc open-ended expert group on marine litter and microplastics. The first meeting of the expert group convened in May 2018. The fourth and final meeting of the expert group convened in November 2020. The expert group considered a variety of options to control marine litter, including negotiating a new treaty on plastic pollution, or ramping up existing voluntary measures, such as the Group of 20’s (G20) Osaka Blue Ocean Vision and the Group of 7’s (G7) Ocean Plastics Charter.
Events
Showing 1 - 6 of 6 results
5th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment (INC-5)
In their last scheduled meeting to agree on treaty text to "end plastic pollution," negotiators may base their discussions on a new non-paper by INC Chair Luis Vayas that builds on the common ground between countries.
4th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment (INC-4)
While the plastic pollution negotiations started with lofty ambitions, it has become clear that a strong treaty is in no way guaranteed. With one more scheduled meeting left, some delegates left Ottawa wondering if they still had time to reach agreement to stem the tide of plastic pollution.
3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment (INC-3)
As concerns about the scourge of plastic pollution mount worldwide, delegates shared their views on the “full life cycle of plastic,” with some favoring measures addressing plastic production, and others favoring downstream measures to eliminate plastic waste. Still others focused on how best to ensure lasting design standards for plastic products.
2nd Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment (INC-2)
While the meeting was characterized by procedural scuffles, long delays, and late nights, delegates shared views on an options paper and set out a path for the intersessional period leading to the next negotiating session, mandating the preparation of a “zero draft” of the new treaty to address plastics pollution.
1st Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-1)
While most delegations seem to agree that there are negative effects surrounding plastic pollution, it was clear they have yet to find common ground on the details and contents of key substantive themes that will determine the scope and guide the implementation of the future international treaty.
Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group to Prepare for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to End Plastic Pollution
Governments took the first steps toward a new international treaty on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, as they set out the schedule of negotiations and rules of procedure, and convened multi-stakeholder dialogues on the scope of the plastics pollution problem.