After 10 days of negotiations, global efforts to finalise a legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution ended in Geneva on Friday without a consensus on the final text.
The resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) drew more than 2,600 participants, including 1,400 delegates from 183 countries, nearly 1,000 observers from over 400 organisations, and about 100 high-level officials.
While no agreement was reached, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) confirmed that member states agreed to resume discussions at a later date, showing a shared commitment to continue the process. The aim of the session was to agree on the treaty’s text and pinpoint unresolved issues ahead of a planned diplomatic conference.
Negotiations began with a Chair’s draft from the last session in Busan and were divided into contact groups focusing on topics such as plastic design, hazardous chemicals, production caps, financing, and compliance. Two new draft proposals emerged, but consensus remained out of reach.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen described the talks as “hard-fought” against a backdrop of geopolitical and economic challenges but stressed that countries were united in their determination to keep working toward an agreement.
“While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution – pollution that is in our groundwater, soil, rivers, oceans, and even in our bodies,” Andersen said.
INC Chair, Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, acknowledged the disappointment but urged renewed commitment. “Failing to reach the goal we set for ourselves may bring frustration, but it should spur us to regain energy and unite our aspirations,” he said.
The push for a global plastic treaty began in March 2022, when the UN Environment Assembly adopted a landmark resolution to create a legally binding instrument to tackle plastic pollution, including marine waste. Negotiations have since been held in Uruguay, France, Kenya, Canada, and South Korea.
INC Secretariat Executive Secretary Jyoti Mathur-Filipp concluded that while challenges remain, there is a “renewed and shared commitment” to make progress.
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