Discussions on a UN treaty for plastic pollution are moving forward, but not at an adequate pace, claims the chair.
The United Nations is working tirelessly to negotiate a landmark treaty aimed at combating the growing issue of plastic pollution, with the treaty's draft text expanding from 22 to 35 pages. As of August 14, 2023, the negotiations, led by Luis Vayas Valdivieso, have been ongoing for several days but have yet to reach a consensus.
The treaty, if passed, would be legally binding and would address the full lifecycle of plastics, including production, waste management, and chemical controls. However, the negotiations have proven challenging, with disagreements particularly over whether the treaty should impose limits on new plastic production or focus mainly on waste management, reuse, and better design.
Despite these challenges, the talks have not collapsed permanently, and the negotiations have reconvened at the UN in Geneva after the failure of the fifth and final round of talks in Busan, South Korea. However, with only four days left until the deadline for reaching a consensus, progress has been slow, and some articles still have unresolved issues and show little progress towards reaching a common understanding.
Valdivieso has warned that progress made in the negotiations has not been sufficient, and there is no more time for further interventions. He stated that August 14 is a critical date for delivering the treaty, and the identity of the countries or groups making changes to the proposed text remains unclear.
The treaty's aim is to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution in the environment, and Valdivieso has emphasized the urgency of finding a solution. He stated that the treaty must be legally binding to ensure that all countries are held accountable for their actions.
As the negotiations continue, it remains to be seen whether a consensus can be reached and a legally binding treaty can be passed to combat plastic pollution. The stakes are high, and the future of our environment depends on the success of these negotiations.
- In the ongoing negotiations at the United Nations in Geneva, a crucial point of debate lies in deciding whether the proposed treaty should impose limits on new plastic production or primarily focus on waste management, reuse, and better design, as environmental-science and climate-change concerns are deeply interwoven with the politics of general-news regarding this issue.
- The passing of the legally binding treaty, aiming to address plastic pollution and its full lifecycle (production, waste management, and chemical controls), would become a seminal moment in the annals of science and politics, significantly impacting the state of our environment and setting a precedent for future climate-change actions in the realm of both domestic and international policies.
