After 10 days of negotiations, global talks aimed at securing a legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution ended in Geneva on Friday without a final agreement.
The resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) brought together over 2,600 participants, including delegates from 183 countries, alongside observers from more than 400 organisations and about 100 ministers and senior officials.
While consensus on the treaty text proved elusive, countries agreed to resume negotiations at a later date, signalling their commitment to continue the process. The goal remains to produce an international instrument addressing plastic pollution across its full lifecycle.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen acknowledged the setbacks but stressed the determination to push forward.
“While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we will continue the work against plastic pollution – pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans, and in our bodies,” she said.
Negotiators worked from a Chair’s Text developed in earlier sessions, debating key issues such as plastic design standards, production limits, chemicals of concern, funding, and compliance. Two new proposals were introduced, but no consensus was reached.
INC Chair Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso urged nations not to be discouraged. “It has not happened yet in Geneva, but the day will come when the international community will join hands to protect our environment and safeguard the health of our people,” he said.
The push for a global plastics treaty began in 2022, following a landmark UN resolution, with previous negotiation rounds held in Uruguay, France, Kenya, Canada, and South Korea.
