(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Felix Wertli of the Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN) says a“change of pace” is needed at UN talks in Geneva towards an international agreement to combat plastic pollution. This content was published on August 8, 2025 - 16:19 4 minutes Keystone-SDA

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“Discussions are more precise and concise than at the previous round of negotiations in South Korea a few months ago,” Wertli told journalists on Friday.“But at the same time, they are still too slow,” he said.“There are always new proposals on the texts. We had hoped that this would be less the case.”

Ecuadorian ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who is presiding the negotiations, is due to unveil a summary of suggestions by the more than 170 participating countries at a plenary session on Saturday. For the time being, reluctant producer countries are sticking to their guns, although“a lot of discussions are taking place to find solutions,” said Wertli.

“If we can gain political momentum, particularly on the part of the producer countries, it is possible to reach an effective agreement,” Wertli believes. But the most recalcitrant states, notably Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia, seem unwilling to budge, he explains. Another problem is that President Donald Trump's administration has shifted the US towards the opposition camp.

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