Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations

Dates:

May 29, 2023

–June 2, 2023

Location:

Paris, France

Description:

The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-2) will take place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris, France. The meeting will be preceded by regional consultations on 28 May 2023, at the same venue. To address the global plastic pollution crisis, nations agreed last year to complete negotiations on “an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment” by the end of 2024, which means 2023 is a critical year for making progress. The INC concluded the first round of negotiations (INC-1) in December 2022. Although the focus was on procedural matters, organizers saw a strong call for a human-rights approach that included consideration for the significant human health consequences of plastic production.14 INC-2 will pick up where INC-1 left off and will begin to address one of the most divisive issues: will the treaty be structured around national action plans or mandatory targets? Fifty countries have formed the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, calling for binding targets.

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