No consensus was reached at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC),10 days into it.
The talks were meant to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
The Committee agreed to resume negotiations at a future date to be announced.
The meeting was attended by more than 2,600 participants at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, including over 1,400 Member delegates from 183 countries, and close to 1,000 Observers from over 400 organizations.
About 70 Ministers and Vice Ministers, as well as 30 other high-level representatives, held roundtable discussions.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said “while we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution, and that groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies.”
She said the goal of INC-5.2 was to agree on the instrument’s text and highlight unresolved issues requiring further preparatory work ahead of a diplomatic conference.
The session followed a structured approach—starting with an opening plenary, transitioning into four contact groups tackling key areas like plastic design, chemicals of concern, production caps, finance, and compliance, followed by a stocktake plenary, informal consultations, and ending with a closing plenary on 15 August.
Luis Vayas Valdivieso, INC Chair Ambassador, said “failing to reach the goal we set for ourselves may bring sadness, even frustration. Yet it should not lead to discouragement. On the contrary, it should spur us to regain our energy, renew our commitments, and unite our aspirations. It has not happened yet in Geneva, but I have no doubt that the day will come when the international community will unite its will and join hands to protect our environment and safeguard the health of our people.”
This INC process kicked off in March 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), when a historic resolution was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
Picture: Supplied