UN begins new offer to forge plastics treaty amid 'global crisis'

(MENAFN) Negotiators from 180 countries gathered in Geneva on Tuesday to kick off a new round of UN talks aimed at creating a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution, described by officials as a “life-threatening” crisis.

Ecuadorian diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso opened the 10-day negotiations, warning that plastic waste is damaging ecosystems, polluting oceans and rivers, threatening biodiversity, harming human health, and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. “The urgency is real, the evidence is clear, and the responsibility is on us,” he said.

Previous talks, culminating in Busan, South Korea, three years ago, collapsed after oil-producing nations blocked consensus. Despite the challenges, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen expressed cautious optimism, citing extensive diplomacy and momentum from regional and interest-group discussions. “Will it be easy? No. Will it be straightforward? No. Is there a pathway for a deal? Absolutely,” Andersen said.

Plastic pollution is so widespread that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peaks, in the deepest ocean trenches, and throughout nearly every part of the human body. In 2022, countries agreed to find a solution by the end of 2024. Busan negotiations stalled amid disagreements between countries pushing for ambitious production limits and chemical phase-outs and those opposing stricter measures.

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