The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), opened this week in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The session aims to conclude negotiations and finalize the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment(ILBI) which was agreed upon earlier during the prior meetings. The discussions are toward convergence on elements to be included in the future ILBI on finance, capacity building, technical assistance and technology transfer, and plastic products and chemicals of concern, before initiating textual negotiations on some, but not all, of these elements.
INC-5 follows four earlier rounds of negotiations: INC-1, which took place in Punta del Este in November 2022, INC-2, which was held in Paris in June 2023, INC-3, which happened in Nairobi in November 2023, and INC-4, held in Ottawa in April 2024.
The witnessed over-reliance on plastic use from packaging to clothes and house items has stirred an increase in the threat of the triple planetary crisis. Triple planetary crisis refers to the three interconnected environmental crises that entail climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
The session, which takes place from 25 November to 1 December, aims to finalize and approve the instrument’s text. On the opening day, the INC approved using the Chair’s Non-Paper 3 as the foundation to facilitate negotiations in focused contact groups throughout the week.
H.E. Yoon Suk Yeol President of the Republic of Korea during his address emphasized that it’s apparent the excessive reliance of humanity on the convenience of plastics has resulted in an exponential increase in plastic waste which has accumulated in our oceans and rivers and now jeopardizes the lives of future generations.
“I sincerely hope that over the coming week, all member states will stand together in solidarity – with a sense of responsibility for future generations – to open a new historic chapter by finalizing a treaty on plastic pollution,” said H.E. Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), INC-5 is a historic moment to end the world’s plastic pollution crisis and protect our environment, our health, and our future. Stressing that the job in Busan this week is clear and that is to agree on a treaty that puts us on the road to delivering a plastic pollution-free future once and for all.
“The moment of truth is here to end plastic pollution. Not a single person on this planet wants to witness plastic in their communities or washing up on their shores. Not a single person wants chemical-laced plastic particles in their bloodstreams, organs, or their unborn babies,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
INC-5 was preceded by a series of ministerial meetings, regional consultations, and a conversation with Observers setting precedence for the anticipated triumph in negotiations around the global plastic pollution treaty.
“The voices of the world are clear: we need healthy meals free from microplastics; we need clean air, oceans, and forests; we need safe, non-toxic plastic products; we need innovation, circularity, and collaboration to replace harmful plastics,” said Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Chair of the INC. “Let us harness every tool of multilateralism, every ounce of creativity, and every moment of dialogue to overcome our differences and craft a treaty as ambitious as our collective will allows.”
More than 3,800 participants have registered to participate in INC-5 – the highest number of the five meetings – representing more than 170 countries and over 600 Observer organizations.
“The success of these negotiations will directly shape the world we live in – now and in the future -, because once the ink is dry, words must be followed by action, and we should all have our eyes on this instrument’s implementation,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC. “
