The third Global Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC-3) concluded without concrete headway toward the mandate adopted at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) to negotiate a comprehensive and legally binding treaty that will cover measures along the entire life cycle of plastic.
Talks were derailed by a low-ambition group spearheaded by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and a few other nations. Adding insult to injury, fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists outnumbered all negotiators from the G7 countries combined. They also outnumber representatives from Pacific Small Islands Developing States by a ratio of two to one — a clear conflict of interest.
That said, many countries continued to step up. Faced with endless delays, procedural maneuvering, and ticking clocks, countries in the Global South fought to ensure the treaty delivers the production reductions, toxic reductions, and focus on human rights that both science and the negotiating mandate require.
The next negotiations (INC-4) will be at the end of April in Canada — ahead of these negotiations, we will need to significantly ramp up pressure on the United States. If you haven’t already, head over to our Global Plastics Treaty petition and add your name.
