Media

MEDIA ADVISORY

Road to Busan: process continues towards an international,  legally binding instrument on plastic pollution 

INC-5 media registration open and more

Progressing towards an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, Republic of Korea, the INC has established two Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Groups.

The expert groups have each commenced their work with three virtual meetings starting from 16 July, ahead of in-person meetings in Bangkok from 24 to 28 August. These are not negotiating nor decision-making meetings under the INC and are not part of an INC session, but are established to inform and help advance the work of the INC.

Under the guidance of the expert groups’ Co-chairs, and in consultation with the INC Chair, the INC Secretariat has prepared a concept note to guide the organization and conduct of intersessional work. These meetings are closed - no webcast nor media access will be provided.

The outcomes of the expert groups’ work and final participant lists will be posted on the INC website after the meetings take place.

Members of the media who wish to set up interviews related to the INC process may reach out to the INC Media Team (unep-incplastics.media@un.org).

Road to Busan

The fifth and final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee  (INC-5), is scheduled to take place from 25 November to 1 December in Busan, Republic of Korea. The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 24 November.

• Date: 25 November to 1 December 2024
• Venue: Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre, Busan, Republic of Korea
• Format: Fully in-person with live-streaming of plenary available online

More specific information about INC-5 is available in these latest FAQs.

Media registration is now open https://indico.un.org/event/1011758 and will close on 31 October 2024.

The  unedited advance version of the  Compilation of draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment  (UNEP/PP/INC.5/4 ADVANCE) is available online in English. The document will be made available in all six UN languages on the INC website ahead of INC-5.

The report of the work of the last session, INC-4 held from 23 to 29 April in Ottawa, Canada is also available online. Updates on media registration and other information will be shared on the INC media web page.

For more information and enquiries, please contact:   INC Media Team (unep-incplastic.media@un.org)

PRESS RELEASE

Road to Busan clear as negotiations on a global plastics treaty close in Ottawa

Ottawa, 29 April 2024 – The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), concluded today in Ottawa with an advanced draft text of the instrument and agreement on intersessional work ahead of the fifth session (INC-5) in November.

More than 2,500 delegates participated in INC-4, representing 170 Members and over 480 Observer organizations including - non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and UN entities. INC-4 marked the Committee's largest and most inclusive gathering to date, with Observer participation increasing by almost fifty per cent.

Over the course of INC-4, delegates worked on negotiating the Revised Draft Text of the international legally binding instrument. Delegates discussed, among other things: emissions and releases; production; product design; waste management; problematic and avoidable plastics; financing, and a just transition.

INC Members also agreed on intersessional work – expert meetings that take place between the official INC sessions – that is expected to catalyze convergence on key issues. In addition, Members decided to create an Open-ended Legal Drafting Group to form at INC-5, serving in an advisory capacity by reviewing elements of the draft revised text to ensure legal soundness.

“We came to Ottawa to advance the text and with the hope that Members would agree on the intersessional work required to make even greater progress ahead of INC-5. We leave Ottawa having achieved both goals and a clear path to landing an ambitious deal in Busan ahead of us,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). “The work, however, is far from over. The plastic pollution crisis continues to engulf the world and we have just a few months left before the end of year deadline agreed upon in 2022. I urge members to show continued commitment and flexibility to achieve maximum ambition.”

The fourth session follows INC-1 in Punta del Este in November 2022, INC-2 in Paris in May/June 2023, and INC-3 in Nairobi in November 2023. INC-5 – set to be the end of the INC process – is scheduled for November 2024 in Busan, the Republic of Korea.

“Canada is committed to reaching a final agreement at INC-5 in the Republic of Korea before year end. We are no longer talking about “if” we can get there, but “how.” Together we can land one of the most significant environmental decisions since the Paris Agreement and the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” said said Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “We are doing everything we can to raise the international profile of the plastic pollution crisis so that the agreement gets the global attention it deserves to cross the finish line.”

The Chair of the INC, Ambassador Luis Vayas said: “During these seven days of intense deliberations, you – the delegates – have managed to build on and advance the revised draft text of the instrument, providing streamlined text and entering textual negotiations on several elements,” Ambassador Vayas said. “At the same time, we also leave with a much clearer picture of the work that remains to be done, if we are to deliver on the promise that Members have made through UNEA Resolution 5/14.”  

“We are all united by our strong shared commitment to deliver an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. It is this spirit of multilateralism which has guided our discussions here in Ottawa,” he added. “We have found some common ground, and we are walking this path together until the end. I firmly believe that we can carry this same spirit forth to Busan to deliver on our mandate.”

Ambassador Vayas thanked the Government of Canada for hosting the session, as well as the Committee Members, Observers, co-facilitators, support staff, and the INC Secretariat, and his team.

“It has been an ambitious timeline of just 18 months and four sessions to get us to this point, and we are now firmly on the road to Busan. Compromise and commitment remains strong at this advanced stage of the negotiations,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat. “Members should arrive in Busan ready to deliver on their mandate and agree a final text of the instrument. This is more than a process – it is the fulfilment of your commitment to saving future generations from the global scourge of plastic pollution.”

NOTES TO EDITORS 

About the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)

United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee, to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024. The INC is tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, henceforth referred to as “the instrument”, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. 

For media queries, please contact: INC media team

PRESS RELEASE

Pivotal fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty opens in Ottawa

Ottawa, 23 April 2024 – The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), opened today in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. The session aims to advance negotiations so that the Committee can finalize, at its fifth session (INC-5) in November, the text of the instrument.

Members will also decide on intersessional work – informal INC sessions taking place between the official meetings – required between the INC-4 and INC-5, to support the further development of the text.

INC-4 is the penultimate stage of the negotiations; it follows three 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, and INC-3, which happened in Nairobi in November 2023.

“We are seeing convergence on eliminating the uses that are problematic and avoidable. We will continue to need plastic for specific uses, such as renewable energy technologies. But there is growing agreement that short-lived and single use can go,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme.

“We can be proud of what we have achieved. But a job half-done is a job not done. Time is against us – both in terms of finalizing the instrument and how much more the planet can take. As we deliberate, plastic pollution continues to gush into ecosystems,” she added. “So, I ask for INC-4 to show energy, commitment, collaboration, and ambition. To make progress. And set the stage for INC-5 to finalize an instrument that will end plastic pollution, once and for all.”

INC-5, to be held in Busan, the Republic of Korea, from 25 November to 1 December 2024, is intended as the end of the INC process. It will be followed by a Diplomatic Conference where Heads of State will sign the agreement.

“We are here seeking to advance these negotiations and deliver a treaty because collectively we have recognized that multilateral cooperation – this INC process, a new legally binding international instrument – have a critical role to play in providing the effective and impactful solutions needed to end plastic pollution. The spirit of multilateralism is: “together, we are stronger”,” said Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Chair of the INC.

“Let us negotiate with accountability and integrity –grounded in the scientific evidence and facts on the scale and urgency of ending plastic pollution. Let us also approach this task with optimism, that it is both necessary and possible for us to achieve this new treaty,” he added.

The start of INC-4 was preceded by regional consultations and a conversation with Observers, and Canada hosted a Partnerships Day and a Ministerial Day on the sidelines of the session.

“Agreeing to a global agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024 would mark one of the most significant environmental decisions and would be a first-of-its-kind agreement to unite the world around a shared goal to end plastic pollution,” said Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

“Canada has put in place a number of measures to stem the tide of plastic pollution at home, and we are keen to keep up the momentum for a global agreement that aligns with our ambition. We welcome delegations, partners, and stakeholders from around the world to Ottawa for INC-4 to continue the ambitious work needed to achieve this united goal.”

At the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in February 2024, Canada convened the other host countries of the INC process – France, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, and Uruguay – for a Ministerial meeting, under the umbrella of the Host Country Alliance, to galvanize momentum toward the global instrument.

“Seize this opportunity, make these seven days count, deliver a text that is as close as possible to the final agreement that we all want to see,” said Jyoti Mathur- Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC. “You delegates know the issues that need to be addressed at this session, and that flexibility will be needed to reach consensus. This is the only way forward.”

Notes to Editors

About the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee

United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee, to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024. The INC is tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

More information is available here.

For media enquiries, please contact the INC media team.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-4) 

Opening press conference and general reminders

Dear media colleagues, 

Thank you for registering to attend the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, taking place at the Shaw Center in Ottawa, Canada, from 23-29 April 2024. 

On Tuesday 23 April 2024, the official opening press conference will take place at 1:15 pm EDT (GMT-4) at the Shaw Center’s Media Room (2^nd floor, Room 203). 

Speakers:   

Luis Vayas Valdivieso, INC Chair   

Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme    

Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada 

Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary, INC Secretariat    

Registered media who wish to attend the press conference in-person, especially if carrying audio-visual equipment, are advised to arrive at the Shaw Center early due to the high volume of delegates expected at entry and the security protocols involved in accessing the conference venue.   

Some points to note for media attending INC-4 in-person:   

• Media with cameras should contact the INC media team, identifiable UN personnel or volunteers at the Shaw Center to request permission to film within the venue.  

• Contact Group meeting rooms are strictly off-limits for media. Access to these spaces is pre-determined and non-negotiable.   

• Photographers and videographers – we recommend bringing a long lens for plenaries.      

• A media working space is available on the fourth floor of the Shaw Center, available from the evening of 23 April 2024. Seating in the media working space is limited, and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.   

• Carrying out interviews within certain areas of the venue may require special permission. Please share your plan with the media team for media activities for advice.   

• Please read the Code of conduct to prevent harassment, including sexual harassment, at UN System events. Wrongdoing can be reported via this form or via the hotline at + 1 212 963 1111 (24 hours a day). For more information, please visit the Office of Internal Oversight Services website.     

• Breaking security rules may result in permanent removal from the premises.  

• This meeting is plastic-free. You are strongly encouraged to bring your own water bottles to the meeting. Water dispensers for refilling will be provided. There will be no provision of disposable water cups at the meeting venue. Tap water is also safe to drink in Ottawa. Participants are also encouraged to bring their own lanyards for the meeting badges to promote multiple use.  

To request and set up interviews, or if you have queries on the above guidance, please contact the INC media team. 

The latest programme of the session will be available on the INC-4 web page  and the links for the webcast of the plenary (only) in all six UN official UN languages available here. 

MEDIA ADVISORY

INC-4: Process continues towards an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution

Revised draft text available in all UN official languages

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), is scheduled to take place from 23 to 29 April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada. The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 21 April 2024. The revised draft text of the international legally binding instrument (UNEP/PP/INC.4/3) is now available in all six UN official languages.

The international negotiation process passed the midway mark with the third session (INC-3) in November 2023. The report of the INC on the work of its third session is available here. The purpose of the fourth session (INC-4) is to advance negotiations so that the committee can finalize, at its fifth session (INC-5), the text of an instrument that supports Members in achieving their collective goal of ending plastic pollution and that can be effectively implemented. The scenario note for the fourth session is now available setting out the goal, expectations and approach for the fourth session.

Media registration is open until 16 April 2024.

INC-4 will be held in person and a live-stream of the plenary meetings will be provided on UN Web TV - links will be made available prior to the meeting on the INC-4 webpage. 

Background on the INC 

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution 5/14 was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. The INC began its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024.

Three INC sessions preceded the upcoming INC-4. INC-1 was held on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, while INC-2 took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in Paris, France and INC-3 took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 13 to 19 November 2023. 

Two INC sessions are scheduled to be held this year. INC-4 will take place from 23 to 29 April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada, and subsequently, INC-5 from 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. 

For more information and enquiries, please contact:

INC Media Team (unep-incplastic.media@un.org) 

MEDIA ADVISORY

INC-4: Process continues towards an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution 

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), is scheduled to take place from 23 to 29 April 2024 at the Shaw Center in Ottawa, Canada. The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 21 April 2024 at the same venue. 

Media registration is open until 16 April 2023. Personnel who require an entry visa to Canada are strongly recommended to register as early as possible. Visa applications may take up to 12 weeks to process.  

INC-4 will be held in person and a live-stream of the plenary meetings will be provided on UN Web TV - links will be made available prior to the meeting on the  INC-4 webpage.    

The advance copy of the revised draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (UNEP/PP/INC.4/3) is available. The document will be made available here in all six UN languages on the INC website six weeks before the session. 

The international negotiation process has just passed its midway point. At the third session (INC-3) in November 2023, Members discussed the Chair’s Zero Draftand found a way forward on issues not discussed yet. INC-4 will take these negotiations forward. The report of the INC on the work of its third session is now available here. 

Background on the INC 

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic  resolution 5/14  was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee began its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024.  

Three INC sessions preceded the upcoming INC-4. INC-1 was held on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, while INC-2 took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in Paris, France and INC-3 took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 13 to 19 November 2023.  

Two upcoming INC sessions are scheduled to be held this year. The INC-4 will take place from 23 to 29 April 2024 at the Shaw Center in Ottawa, Canada, and subsequently the INC-5 from 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. 

For more information and enquiries, please contact:  

INC Media Team (unep-incplastic.media@un.org) 

PRESS RELEASE

Third session of negotiations on an international plastics treaty advance in Nairobi

Nairobi, 19 November 2023 – The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), concluded today in Nairobi, Kenya, with agreement on a starting point for negotiations at the fourth session (INC-4).  

More than 1,900 delegates participated in INC-3, representing 161 Members, including the European Union and over 318 observer organizations - UN entities, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The third session follows INC-1 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November 2022 and INC-2 in Paris, France, in May/June 2023.

Over the course of INC-3, Members discussed the Chair’s Zero Draft, went through a compilation of text to include all the views of Members, prepared a validated, co-facilitator merged text, and found a way forward on issues not discussed as yet.

The INC also elected two Vice-Chairs to the Bureau and a new Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Luis Valdivieso of Ecuador. As indicated at INC-1, H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez stepped down from the position as the Chair of the committee at the end of INC-3; Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso of Ecuador was elected by acclamation as INC Chair moving forward.

“I am encouraged by the forward motion of the negotiations towards a treaty that ends plastic pollution. I thank the Chair, Ambassador Meza-Cuadra, and the Members of the INC for their determination to get to the finish line and put us on course for a world where plastic pollution is a problem of the past,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). “Continue to be ambitious, innovative, inclusive, and bold. And use these negotiations to hone a sharp and effective instrument that we can use to carve out a better future, free from plastic pollution."    

Officially closing the session, outgoing Chair of the INC, H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez, thanked the Government of Kenya and the UN in Nairobi for hosting the session, as well as the Member States, observers, co-facilitators and support staff of the discussions.  

“These past 10 days have been a significant step forward towards the achievement of our objective to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. But it has also recalled us that much remains to be done both in narrowing down our differences and in developing technical work to inform our negotiations,” he said.

Quoting Nelson Mandela, he added: “I invite all of you to reflect on as we engage in the upcoming INCs: Sometimes, it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom."

“I urge all of us to listen to the scientific community and the diversity of stakeholders that can and do bring evidence, experience, and knowledge to these negotiations. Their work is evolving and developing every day,” said incoming INC Chair, Ambassador Luis Vayas. “I thank Ambassador Meza-Cuadra for his steady leadership of the process up to this midway point and will do my utmost to work with Members and all stakeholders for the success of the INC process, delivery of the instrument and implementation to end plastic pollution, protecting human health and the environment. 

INC Members also agreed on the dates of both INC-4, to take place in Ottawa, Canada, in April 2024, and INC-5, which is scheduled for November/December 2024 in the Republic of Korea.

“I am pleased to see that the Nairobi spirit of collaboration, compromise and commitment has been in full force during our session in the city that birthed the INC process. We saw this during our Preparatory Meeting on 11 November, which set the stage for the positive momentum we achieved at this session, and in the constructive and cooperative manner in which you all engaged throughout this week,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat. 

“Let us carry the Nairobi spirit of collaboration, compromise and commitment forward into our next sessions, as we continue on our journey towards a strong, ambitious and inclusive instrument to combat plastic pollution,” she added. 

Notes to Editors

About the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee 

United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee, to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024. The INC is tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, henceforth referred to as “the instrument”, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. 

For media queries, please contact: INC media team

PRESS RELEASE

Third session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty opens in Nairobi

Nairobi, 13 November 2023 – The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), opened today in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. INC-3 members will start negotiations on the basis of the Zero Draft text prepared by the Chair of the INC. 

INC-3 marks the mid-point of the journey towards a global treaty. It follows two earlier rounds of negotiations: INC-1, which took place in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November 2022, and INC-2, which was held in Paris in June. Two more INC sessions are planned for 2024. 

“To deal with plastic pollution, humanity must change. We must change the way we consume, the way we produce and how we dispose our waste. This is the reality of our world. Change is inevitable. This treaty, this instrument that we are working on, is the first domino in this change. Let us bring it home. Let the change begin,” Kenyan President William Ruto said at the opening of the session.  

In her remarks at the opening of INC-3, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, said: “The resolution passed at UNEA 5.2 (the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022) called for an instrument that is, and I quote, ‘based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.” 

“Not an instrument that deals with plastic pollution by recycling or waste management alone. The full life cycle. This means rethinking everything along the chain, from polymer to pollution, from product to packaging,” she added. “We need to use fewer virgin materials, less plastic and no harmful chemicals. We need to ensure that we use, reuse, and recycle resources more efficiently. And dispose safely of what is left over. And use these negotiations to hone a sharp and incisive instrument to carve out a better future, free from plastic pollution.” 

“We now have had the opportunity to have the first round of discussion on all elements of the future instrument,” Chair of the INC, Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez, said. 

“It is my hope that by the end of the session, the Committee will agree on a mandate for a revised draft and possible intersessional work to prepare for that fourth and fifth sessions,” he added. “I am confident that we can make substantive progress here at our third session and capitalise on the Nairobi spirit, consensus and ambition.” 

The start of INC-3 was preceded by a preparatory meeting on 11 November, also in Nairobi, during which delegates engaged in initial, informal exchanges of views, as well as regional consultations on 12 November.

Jyoti Mathur- Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC, thanked the Government of Kenya, delegates and other stakeholders for their support for the negotiations, stressing that, “We must work collectively ensuring all views are heard so that we can build consensus and move forward swiftly to fulfil our mandate.” 

Notes to Editors 

About the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee 

United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee, to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024. The INC is tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. 

For media enquiries, please contact: INC media team 

MEDIA ADVISORY: 9 NOVEMBER 2023 

Opening press conference for the third session of  the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3)

The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), is scheduled to take place from 13 to 19 November 2023 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. On 13 November 2023, an opening press conference will be held at 1:30pm East African Time (GMT -3).  

Date: 13 November 2023   

Time: 1:30pm EAT/ 11:30 CET/ 5:30am EST  

Location: Press Centre, UNON, Nairobi, Kenya  

Format: In-person   

A livestream will be available: https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution/webcast  

Speakers:   

Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez, INC Chairperson   

Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme   

Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary, INC Secretariat  

As decided by the INC at its second session, the third session of the INC will take place fully in-person. Live-streaming coverage of the plenary meetings will be provided. The links and the latest schedule of the plenaries will be made available on the INC-3 webpage. 

Members of registered media who wish to attend the press conference in-person, especially if carrying audio-visual equipment, are recommended to arrive early due to the high volume of delegates expected at entry.  

Background on the INC 

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution 5/14 was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.   

Two INC sessions preceded the upcoming INC-3. INC-1 was held on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, while INC-2 took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in Paris, France. The report of the INC on the work of its second session can be found here.   

One of the key considerations at INC-3 will be the launch of negotiations on the ‘Zero draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (UNEP/PP/INC.3/4)’, a document that INC-2 requested the Chair of the INC process to prepare, with the support of the secretariat. The Zero Draft is the key starting point to facilitate and support the committee’s work in developing the international legally binding instrument called for by Resolution 5/14 and is guided by the views expressed at the committee’s first and second sessions.  

The Zero Draft is now available in all six UN languages here.  

For more information, please contact: unep-incplastic.media@un.org 

Sent on behalf of the INC Secretariat 

MEDIA ADVISORY: 6 NOVEMBER 2023 

INC-3: Process continues towards an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution

The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), is scheduled to take place from 13 to 19 November 2023 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 12 November 2023. Also, as decided by the Committee at its second session, a preparatory one-day meeting will take place on 11 November 2023 at the same venue.    

Media registration is open: https://indico.un.org/event/1006590/ until 8 November 2023.  

As decided by the INC at its second session, the third session of the INC will take place in-person. Live-streaming coverage of the plenary meetings will be provided. The links will be made available prior to the meeting on the INC-3 webpage.      

One of the key considerations at INC-3 will be the launch of negotiations on the ‘Zero draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (UNEP/PP/INC.3/4)’, a document that INC-2 requested the Chair of the INC process to prepare, with the support of the secretariat. The Zero Draft is the key starting point to facilitate and support the committee’s work in developing the international legally binding instrument called for by Resolution 5/14 and is guided by the views expressed at the committee’s first and second sessions. 

The Zero Draft is now available in all six UN languages here.

Background on the INC

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution 5/14 was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.  

Two INC sessions preceded the upcoming INC-3. INC-1 was held on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, while INC-2 took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in Paris, France. The report of the INC on the work of its second session can be found here.  

For more information please contact: unep-incplastic.media@un.org

MEDIA ADVISORY: 17 OCTOBER 2023 

INC-3: Process continues towards an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution 
 

The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), is scheduled to take place from 13 to 19 November 2023 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 12 November 2023. Also, as decided by the Committee at its second session, a preparatory one-day meeting will take place on 11 November 2023 at the same venue. 

Media registration is open: https://indico.un.org/event/1006590/ until 8 November 2023. 

As decided by the INC at its second session, the third session of the INC will take place in-person. Live-streaming coverage of the plenary meetings will be provided. The links will be made available prior to the meeting on the INC-3 webpage.   

One of the key considerations at INC-3 will be the launch of negotiations on the ‘Zero draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (UNEP/PP/INC.3/4)’, a document that INC-2 requested the Chair of the INC process to prepare, with the support of the secretariat. The Zero Draft is the key starting point to facilitate and support the committee’s work in developing the international legally binding instrument called for by Resolution 5/14 and is guided by the views expressed at the committee’s first and second sessions.

The Zero Draft is now available in all six UN languages here.

Background on the INC

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution 5/14 was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.  

Two INC sessions preceded the upcoming INC-3. INC-1 was held on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, while INC-2 took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in Paris, France. The report of the INC on the work of its second session can be found here.  

For more information please contact: unep-incplastic.media@un.org

MEDIA ADVISORY: 4 SEPTEMBER 2023 

INC Chair publishes Zero Draft of international agreement on plastic pollution ahead of third round of negotiations

Nairobi, 4 September 2023 - Ahead of the third session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-3) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, the INC Chair, as requested at INC-2, has prepared with the support of the INC Secretariat, and published a ‘Zero draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment’ (UNEP/PP/INC.3/4). The text is guided by the views expressed at the committee’s first and second sessions and reflects the objective and mandate of United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14.

Member States will be invited to start negotiations on the basis of the Zero Draft text at INC-3, which will take place from 13 to 19 November at UNEP’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The zero draft is initially available in an advanced version in English, with five additional languages to be published by 2 October 2023.

The secretariat will also prepare a synthesis report of the submissions received on elements not discussed at the second session, such as principles and scope of the instrument, to be released in October.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee

United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC), to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024. The INC is tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

More information about INC-3 is available here.  

For more information please contact: unep-incplastic.media@un.org

MEDIA ADVISORY: 1 SEPTEMBER 2023 

INC-3: Process continues towards an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution 
13 – 19 November 2023   

The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), is scheduled to take place from 13 to 19 November 2023 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 12 November 2023. Also, as decided by the Committee at its second session, a preparatory one-day meeting will take place on 11 November 2023 at the same venue.  

As decided by the INC at its second session, the third session of the INC will take place in-person. As in past sessions, live-streaming coverage of the plenary meetings will be provided. The links will be made available prior to the meeting on the INC-3 webpage.

Media registration is open: https://indico.un.org/event/1006590/ until 8 November 2023. 

Background on the INC

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution 5/14 was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.  

Two INC sessions preceded the upcoming INC-3. INC-1 was held on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, while INC-2 took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in Paris, France. The report of the INC on the work of its second session can be found here.  

For more information please contact: unep-incplastic.media@un.org

PRESS RELEASE

INC Chair to prepare zero draft of international agreement on plastic pollution as Paris negotiations end

Paris, 3 June 2023 – The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-2), concluded today in the French capital with a mandate for the INC Chair, with the support of the Secretariat, to prepare a zero draft of the agreement ahead of the next session, due to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, in November.

More than 1,700 participants in Paris - over 700 Member State delegates from 169 Member States and over 900 observers from NGOs – attended the session, hosted by France at the headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris. The second session follows INC-1, which was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November 2022.

“I am encouraged by progress at INC-2 and the mandate to prepare a zero draft of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). “I look forward to INC-3 in Nairobi, and urge Member States to maintain this momentum. The world is calling for an agreement that is broad, innovative, inclusive and transparent, one that leans on science and learns from stakeholders, and one that ensures support for developing nations."

“Plastic has been the default option in design for too long. It is time to redesign products to use less plastic, particularly unnecessary and problematic plastics, to redesign product packaging and shipping to use less plastic, to redesign systems and products for reuse and recyclability and to redesign the broader system for justice,” she added. “The INC has the power to deliver this transformation, bringing major opportunities for everyone.”

On the first day of the session, Member States elected Georgia, Estonia, Sweden and the US to the Bureau. Following discussions on voting rights, they also agreed on an interpretive paragraph for the Draft Rules of Procedure that apply on a provisional basis to the work of the INC.

Officially closing the session, Chair of the INC, H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez, thanked the Government of France and UNESCO for hosting the session, as well as the Member States, observers, co-facilitators and support staff of the discussions.

“Moving forward, I would like to thank you for your trust for the development of the zero draft, with the support of the Secretariat,” he said. “I will do the utmost to ensure that this document reflects faithfully our discussions, as well as the contributions and views of Member States. I take this crucial step to meet our tight deadline with great responsibility.”

Quoting French writer Victor Hugo, the INC Chair added, “It is sad to think that nature speaks, and human beings do not listen. When we listen to nature and we act, we can make progress.”

In its decision, the INC requested the Secretariat to invite submissions from observers by 15 August and Members by 15 September on elements not discussed at INC-2, such as the principles and scope of the instrument, and any potential areas for intersessional work compiled by the cofacilitators of the two contact groups, to inform the work of INC-3.

“My appeal to you at the beginning of this session was that you make Paris count. You have done so, by providing us with a mandate for a zero draft and intersessional work,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat. “The momentum you have built up here in Paris will guide our work in the intersessional period and at our future sessions. I look forward to continuing our important work together and to welcoming you all to Nairobi for our third session in November.”

Ends

About the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee

United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee, to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024. The INC is tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, henceforth referred to as “the instrument”, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

More information is available here.

Media with queries can contact unep-newsdesk@un.org.

The Press Briefing for the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) took place on Monday, 29 May at 17:30 (CEST - GMT+2) in English with French translation.

Panel: 

• Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez, Chair of the INC
• Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC

English

Français

MEDIA ADVISORY: 28 MAY 2023

Press briefing: Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution
29 May 2023, 1:15pm CET

At the start of the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, taking place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 in Paris, registered media are invited to a press briefing.

Date: Monday, 29 May 2023 
Time: 13:15 CEST 
Duration: 45 Minutes
Venue: UNESCO, Paris 

Panel: 

• Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez, Chair of the INC
• Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP 
• Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC

Register here for in-person attendance: https://forms.office.com/e/KZMzdC8XYu   

Register here for virtual attendance: https://forms.office.com/e/scmFUjJnSj

For in-person attendance, the press briefing is open to accredited media. It will be live streamed in English and French. For more information on badge collection through the week, please see this information note.

For more information please contact: UNEP Newsdesk: unep-newsdesk@un.org

Media registration for INC-2 closed on 19 May 2023.

For more information please contact: UNEP Newsdesk: unep-newsdesk@un.org

MEDIA ADVISORY: 9 MAY 2023

INC-2: Process continues towards international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in marine environment

29 May – 2 June 2023

The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, will take place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris, hosted by the Government of France. The meeting will be preceded by regional consultations on 28 May 2023, at the same venue.

Media registration is open and deadline extended: https://indico.un.org/event/1004129/ until 19 May 2023.

• INC-2 delegates will discuss, among other issues, a document prepared by the INC Secretariat on potential options for elements towards an international legally binding instrument. The options paper reflects views expressed by 115 Member States during INC-1 and ahead of INC-2.
• 12 thematic side events are organized on the margins of INC-2 at 1:30-2:45 pm CEST daily (29 May–1 June), with 3 events held in parallel.

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution (5/14) was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

INC-1 took place on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay. INC-2 will take place fully in-person.

For more information please contact: UNEP Newsdesk: unep-newsdesk@un.org

MEDIA ADVISORY: 25 APRIL 2023

INC-2: Process continues towards international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in marine environment

29 May – 2 June 2023

The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, will take place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris, hosted by the Government of France. The meeting will be preceded by regional consultations on 28 May 2023, at the same venue.

Media registration is open: https://indico.un.org/event/1004129/ until 28 April 2023.

• INC-2 delegates will discuss, among other issues, a document prepared by the INC Secretariat on potential options for elements towards an international legally binding instrument. The options paper reflects views expressed by 115 Member States during INC-1 and ahead of INC-2.
• 12 thematic side events are organized on the margins of INC-2 at 1:30-2:45 pm CEST daily (29 May–1 June), with 3 events held in parallel.

In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution (5/14) was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

INC-1 took place on 28 November - 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

INC-2 will take place fully in-person.

For more information please contact: UNEP Newsdesk: unep-newsdesk@un.org

How did the INC process start and what has happened so far?

• UN Environment Assembly resolution 5/14: End Plastic Pollution: Towards an International Legally Binding Instrument - resolution adopted on 2 March 2022
• Ad hoc open-ended working group to prepare for the work of the INC in Dakar, Senegal, 30 May - 1 June 2022
• INC-1 in Punta del Este, 28 November - 2 December 2022:
  • Considered broad options for the structure on the instrument and potential elements of the future instrument.
  • Requested the Secretariat to prepare, in consultation with the Chair, for consideration at INC-2 a document with potential options for elements towards an international legally binding instrument, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses: the full life cycle of plastics as called for in UNEA resolution 5/14, including identifying the objective; substantive provisions including core obligations, control measures and voluntary approaches; implementation measures and means of implementation. The INC agreed that the options document would draw on the views expressed by Member States during the first session of the committee and in written submissions.
  • UNEP hosted a multi-stakeholder forum where 1,800 participants from across the plastics value chain identified key opportunities and challenges.

Why is the INC-2 so important? 

It is expected that discussions at the meeting will help define the main features and possible scope of the future instrument. It is possible that after discussion of the options paper, a mandate would be given to draft a zero-draft text for the international legally binding agreement, to be circulated six weeks ahead of INC-3 and considered there.

What is the agenda at INC-2?

1. Opening of the session.
2. Election of officers.
3. Organizational matters.
4. Preparation of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
5. Other matters.
6. Adoption of the report of the session.
7. Closure of the session.

What is the Options Paper?

• The 13 April 2023 document reflects views expressed by Member States during INC-1 and in 67 written submissions expressed by Member States ahead of INC-2.
• Paper includes suggested categories:
  • Objectives.
  • 12 substantive obligations, including control measures and voluntary approaches.
  • Implementation elements.
  • Additional input.
  • Introductory elements related to the preamble, definitions, scope, principles and institutional arrangements.
  • Paper also includes a background section, including latest key figures on plastic pollution (Appendix II).

Who is attending INC-2?

• UN Member States
• Regional economic integration organizations
• Members of specialized UN agencies
• Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)
• United Nations System Entities
• Accredited Non-governmental Organizations 
• Media

Key figures at INC-2

• INC Chair, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez from Peru 
• Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary, Secretariat for the INC

Side events at INC-2

There 12 thematic side events are organized on the margins of INC-2:

1. Sustainable consumption and production of plastics.
2. Oceans and the marine environment.
3. The role of trade measures in the future instrument.
4. Monitoring the situation and monitoring the progress of the future instrument.
5. Plastic pollution, toxicity, chemicals, and potential risks to human health.
6. Means of implementation, including resource mobilization and financial mechanism.
7. Microplastics.
8. Promoting circular economy.
9. Enabling change at local, national, and regional levels.
10. Environmentally sound management of plastic waste, including collection, sorting, and recycling.
11. Existing plastic pollution: Challenges of Small Island Developing States and remote communities.
12. Socio-economic considerations in the transition to circular approaches to plastic.

What’s going to happen after INC-2?

The proposed timetable involves three more INC meetings until November 2024:

• INC-3, 13-18 Nov 2023, Kenya (TBC)
• INC-4, April/May 2024, Canada (TBC)
• INC-5, Oct/Nov 2024, Republic of Korea (TBC).
• UNEP to report on INC’s progress during UNEA-6, Feb 2024.
• UNEP to convene a diplomatic conference of plenipotentiaries to adopt the instrument and open it for signatures in mid 2025.

Who is the INC Bureau and what is its role?

Chair: Ambassador Gustavo Meza Cuadra (Peru)

Vice-Chairs:

• Asha Challenger (Antigua and Barbuda)
• Luis Vayas Valdivieso (Ecuador)
• Kaupo Heinma (Estonia)
• Irma Gurguliani (Georgia)
• Hiroshi Ono (Japan)
• Mohammad Al-Khashashneh (Jordan)
• Juliet Kabera (Rwanda)
• Cheikh Ndiaye Sylla (Senegal)
• Johanna Lissiner-Peitz (Sweden)
• Larke Williams (United States of America)

The role of the INC Bureau is to approve the draft provisional agenda for the sessions that is submitted to the INC. The Bureau will assist the Chair in the general conduct of business and discussions at INC meetings.

What was the agreement on Rules of Procedure at INC-2?

The INC adopted the following interpretive statement:

The intergovernmental negotiating committee understands that, based on discussions on the draft rules of procedure for the intergovernmental negotiating committee, there are differing views among intergovernmental negotiating committee members on rule 38.1 and its reflection in the report of the intergovernmental negotiating committee on the work of its first session. Therefore, the provisional application of rule 38.1 of the draft rules of procedure has been a subject of debate. In the event that rule 38.1 is invoked before the rules are formally adopted, members will recall this lack of agreement.

The draft rules of procedure apply provisionally to the work of the INC.

What are the next steps for the INC?

The Chair, with the support of the Secretariat, will prepare a zero-draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, for consideration at INC-3, as mandated by UNEA resolution 5/14. The draft will be guided by views expressed at INC-1 and INC-2. The full range of views would be indicated in the draft text through options.

The Secretariat will invite submissions from observers and Members on (a) elements not discussed at INC-2, such as principles and scope of the instrument, and (b) any potential areas for inter-sessional work compiled by the co-facilitators of the two contact groups, to inform the work of INC-3. The Secretariat will prepare a synthesis report of the submissions related to (a).

A one-day preparatory meeting will be held back-to-back with INC-3, which would include discussions on the synthesis report prepared by the secretariat.

INC-2 agreed to the following timetable for future INCs:

• INC-3, November 2023, Nairobi
• INC-4, April 2024, Ottawa
• INC-5, Oct/Nov 2024, Republic of Korea

UNEP to report on INC’s progress during UNEA-6, Feb 2024.

When is a final agreement expected?

UNEA resolution 5/14 requested the intergovernmental negotiating committee to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work of delivering the instrument by the end of 2024.

UNEA resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director to convene a diplomatic conference of plenipotentiaries upon completion of negotiations by the intergovernmental negotiating committee, for the purpose of adopting the instrument and opening it for signature. The secretariat has received offers to host the diplomatic conference of plenipotentiaries from Ecuador, Peru, Rwanda, and Senegal. The hosting decision for the diplomatic conference of plenipotentiaries will be made at a later date.

More about INC

What are the roles of the INC Secretariat, the Chair, and the INC itself?

• Pursuant to the draft Rules of Procedure for the INC, the Chair shall, among others, declare the opening and closing of each session; direct the discussion; ensure observance of the rules; accord the right to speak; put questions to the vote; and announce decisions. The Chair shall rule on points of order and, subject to the present rules, shall have control over the proceedings of the sessions and over the maintenance of order at sessions. The Chair may propose to the session the limitation of the time to be allowed to speakers, the limitation of the number of times each Member may speak on any subject, the closure of the list of speakers, or the closure of the debate. The Chair may also propose the suspension or the adjournment of the session or of the debate on the question under discussion.
• Pursuant to the draft Rule of Procedure for the INC, “Secretariat” means the Secretariat provided by the UNEP Executive Director, which is required to support the Committee. The Executive Director shall, among others, be responsible for convening sessions and for making all the necessary arrangements for sessions, including the preparation and distribution of documents at least six weeks in advance of the sessions. The Secretariat shall, interpret speeches made at sessions; receive, translate and circulate the documents of the sessions; publish and circulate reports and relevant documentation to the Members; have custody of the documents in the Committee’s archives; and generally perform all other work that the Committee may require. The Secretariat shall convey to Members the date, venue, and provisional agenda of each session no less than six weeks in advance of that session. The Secretariat shall ensure that a secure and dedicated web interface is established and maintained to facilitate the work of the Committee.
• The INC refers to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee which was mandated by UNEA resolution 5/14 to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, taking into account, among other things, the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, as well as national circumstances and capabilities. More detailed mandates regarding the INC are provided in paragraphs 3 and 4 of UNEA resolution 5/14.

What is the role of UNEP vs. the role of the INC Secretariat? How do they differ?

• The INC Secretariat services the intergovernmental negotiating committee as mandated by UNEA resolution 5/14, with the objective to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
• The Executive Director of UNEP is mandated to convene the INC in UNEA resolution 5/14. The Secretariat acts as a neutral body supporting the INC process and performing functions requested of it by the INC. It is distinct from and is not involved in the regular operations of UNEP, which include working on different aspects relating to plastic pollution, including science and advocacy.

How do you ensure the work of the INC Secretariat aligns with science?

• Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 refers to the development of provisions to provide scientific and socioeconomic assessments related to plastic pollution and to promote research into and development of sustainable, affordable, innovative, and cost-efficient approaches.
• In the same resolution, the UN Environment Assembly also decided that Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, in its deliberations on the instrument, was to consider the possibility of a mechanism to provide policy-relevant scientific and socioeconomic information and assessment related to plastic pollution.
• In their submissions, Member States put forward options ranging from establishing a scientific subsidiary body akin to that under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants or the Montreal Protocol or providing for the governing body to establish ad-hoc scientific, technical and economic panels to address specific mandates, to making use of existing and future multilateral scientific platforms such as the science-policy panel to be established pursuant to Environment Assembly resolution 5/8 or the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). The latter option would likely require steps to be taken to enable the bodies establishing such platforms to mandate their work in relation to the instrument, under the guidance of the governing body. Several Member States, in their submissions, also indicated that linkages with relevant processes under other multilateral environmental agreements in the area of science and technology were important.

What does it mean for the international instrument being negotiated to be “binding”? What      mechanisms can ensure compliance of Members States, businesses, etc.?

• As mandated in UNEA resolution 5/14, the INC is to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, while the instrument could include both binding and voluntary approaches.
• When a State or a regional economic integration organization becomes a Party to a legally binding instrument (formally agree to be bound by it), the obligations in that instrument become part of the domestic law. Obligations under such instruments are usually undertaken by States or regional economic integration organizations themselves. It is through their national law that such obligations or parts of such obligations are then conferred on other stakeholders (e.g., industry, local authorities, or citizens).
• Typical examples of legally binding instruments include treaties, such as conventions, protocols, or agreements.
• At the international level, multilateral legally binding instruments usually provide for mutual accountability of parties for fulfilling their obligations. Resolution 5/14 mandates that the instrument should consider compliance, specify national reporting, and periodically assess the progress of implementation of the instrument, periodically assess the effectiveness of the instrument in achieving its objectives. Details of the compliance, reporting and effectiveness evaluation is to be deliberated by Member States in the INC, Some Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) have set up compliance and implementation mechanisms, reporting and effectiveness evaluation obligations to ensure compliance and such provisions are binding on Member States that are signatories to the MEAs.  
• Implementation and compliance are central to the success of any MEA. There are many examples in the multilateral environmental governance space.
• To strengthen commitments under the agreements, some MEAs include provisions for the development of procedures and mechanisms to promote implementation and/or compliance, and/or determine and address non-compliance by Parties. These procedures and mechanisms often involve some form of implementation or compliance committee. For example, the Paris Agreement established a mechanism to facilitate implementation of and promote compliance with the provisions of the Agreement (Article 15). The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal has a “verification” process, according to which any Party which believes another Party is acting or has acted in breach of its obligations under the Convention may inform the Secretariat (Article 19). 
• The Minamata Convention on Mercury established an implementation and compliance committee under Article 15 to promote the implementation of and review compliance with, all provisions of the Convention. Mechanisms to review compliance by Parties with an MEA are typical of non-confrontational, non-judicial and consultative nature. The ultimate goal is to assist Parties in their efforts for enhanced implementation of the agreement as a whole.

How does the INC Secretariat ensure that negotiations are inclusive?

• UNEA resolution 5/14 requests the instrument to include provisions to encourage action by all stakeholders, including the private sector, and to promote cooperation at the local, national, regional and global levels;  to initiate a multi-stakeholder action agenda, and that participation in the intergovernmental negotiating committee should be open to all States Members of the United Nations and members of United Nations specialized agencies, to regional economic integration organizations and to relevant stakeholders, consistent with applicable United Nations rules; and the Executive Director was requested to facilitate the participation of, and close cooperation and coordination with, relevant regional and international instruments and initiatives and all relevant stakeholders in the context of the mandate of the intergovernmental negotiating committee.
• While the INC is an intergovernmental process that is driven by Member States, the INC Secretariat allocates significant importance to active engagement of all stakeholders in the negotiation process under the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution. The INC Secretariat and the Chair of the INC fully appreciate the essential role different stakeholders play in enriching the discussion and informing the negotiations process as well the crucial role they play in enabling practical efforts in addressing plastic pollution.

Some examples of how the Secretariat endeavoured to engage stakeholders throughout the process include:

• The first session of the INC (November-December 2022) was attended by 389 non-governmental organizations. Information on the participating non-governmental organizations is included in the official List of Participants of the 1^st session of the INC. The provisional list of participants for INC-2 (planned for 29 May-4 June 2023) will be published shortly before the session and the final list of participants – after the session, including information on participating non-governmental organizations.
• Prior to INC-1, a multistakeholder forum was organized pursuant to resolution 5/14. In addition, a stakeholder dialogue was held during the session.
• Following the call for submissions at INC-1, the Secretariat supported the INC Chair to organize two webinars where stakeholders could present their submissions on options for potential elements of the legally-binding instrument and inform submissions to be prepared by Members. Later in the intersessional period, the Secretariat also organized several webinars where pre-sessional documentation for INC-2 and logistical and procedural issues related to INC-2 were presented, including with regard to arrangements made for access to the venue. The recordings are available on the INC website.
• Within the funding available, the Secretariat was also able to provide financial support to some non-governmental observer organizations from developing countries (see list on the link) to facilitate participation of stakeholders from such countries.
• Plenary sessions of the INC will be webcast in the six official languages of the United Nations. In addition, given the limited capacity of the venue, special arrangements were made that if any contact groups are established all registered participants will be provided links to broadcast of public meetings of contact groups.
• Non-governmental organizations are among co-organizers of each of the 12 thematic side events held during the session.

How are bureau members elected?

• Pursuant to the draft Rules of Procedure for the INC, the Committee shall elect from among the representatives of the Members a Bureau comprising one Chair and ten Vice-Chairs, one of whom shall act as Rapporteur 2. In electing the officers referred to in the previous paragraph, the Committee shall have due regard to the principle of equitable geographical representation and gender balance. Each of the five United Nations regional groups shall be represented by two members of the Bureau and one Bureau member shall represent the small island developing States.
• The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee elected by acclamation Mr. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez (Peru) to serve as its Chair and agreed to defer the election of the Vice-Chairs and the designation of the rapporteur to the second session (INC-2).
• For procedures for elections to fill vacancies in the Bureau of the INC, more details can be found in information document UNEP/PP/INC.2/INF/2.

How does the INC Secretariat work between meetings?

• The INC Secretariat convenes and supports the work of the intergovernmental negotiating committee, with the ambition of completing work by the end of 2024.  This includes providing the necessary support to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to allow for their effective participation in the work.  Further, the INC Secretariat facilitates the participation of, and close cooperation and coordination with, relevant regional and international instruments and initiatives and all relevant stakeholders in the context of the mandate of the intergovernmental negotiating committee. 

Does the INC address the need to phase out fossil fuels?

• Working document UNEP/PP/INC.2/4 prepared by the Secretariat with submissions from a range of stakeholders, provides a substantive obligation on phasing out and/or reducing the supply of, demand for, and use of primary plastic polymers, and potential options for control measures and voluntary approaches were provided, specifically: setting targes, regulating primary plastic polymers, and economic tools. This potential options for elements paper will be the basis of negotiation at INC-2.

Some of the options the committee is considering include:

1. Establishing global targets to reduce production of primary plastic raw material and establishing nationally determined commitments or targets.
2. Regulating primary plastic polymers, such as (i) imposing a moratorium on primary production of plastic polymers; (ii) applying import and export requirements; (iii) tracking types and volumes of plastic polymers, precursors, and feedstocks; (iv) establishing licensing schemes for production, import and export of virgin and secondary plastic polymers.
3. Implementing economic tools, such as setting market-based measures such as price-based measures, production permits, licenses, removal of fiscal incentives and a mandatory fee, tariff, or tax on virgin plastic production.

PRESS RELEASE

Moving towards the end of plastic pollution

Punta del Este, 02 December 2022 – Over 2,500 in-person and virtual delegates from 147 countries, engaged in the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The meeting set the foundation to shape the global instrument to end plastic pollution, with many governments confirming their desire to have an instrument that addresses the full life cycle of plastics, protecting human health and the environment, with special attention paid to the unique circumstances of those countries most in need.

Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou opened the meeting expressing that knowledge, shared responsibilities and optimism are key elements on the road ahead for negotiators.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said at the opening, “We must eliminate and substitute problematic and unnecessary plastic items and ensure that plastic products are designed to be reusable or recyclable. Important that we find our way towards an ambitious multilateral instrument that ensures plastic products are circulated in practice, not just in theory.”

She went on to emphasize: “To get this done, the deal must cover the full life cycle: from considering different types of polymers and plastic products to developing safe and environmentally sound waste management. Crucially, we must ensure that these actions take into account the principles of a just transition so that nobody is left behind.”

Several delegates indicated the instrument should take a combined approach with legally binding core obligations, control measures and voluntary elements to address the entire plastics lifecycle. Furthermore, many delegates emphasized the need to ensure strong monitoring and reporting mechanisms as part of the success of the future instrument.

In summarizing the discussions, INC Chair Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra (Peru) stated: “‘It is clear that we have started to see areas of convergence in the development of the future instrument.”

Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, INC Secretariat Executive Secretary, indicated that the outcome of the first session is a mandate that is deeply crucial in moving towards developing a draft text for the instrument within two years.  She stressed the need for an ambitious and meaningful outcome of the INC process.

The deliberations were preceded by a Multi-Stakeholder Forum which opened on 26 November with around 900 participants taking place in person and online.

Adrian Peña, Minister of Environment of Uruguay, told attendees that plastics are one of the biggest examples of unsustainable consumption and production, of “use and throw away,” with harmful implications for human health and the environment and announced the country's new return deposit system for plastic packaging.

Finally, INC Chair, Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra called for broad and inclusive participation in this process, without losing sight of the ultimate objective, to protect the environment and human health from the impacts of plastic pollution.

The next session, INC-2, will be held in Paris, France the week of 22 May 2023. Countries are expected to build on the outcomes of Punta del Este, Uruguay and begin negotiating on the options for elements towards an international legally binding instrument, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastics as called for by UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/14.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the UN Environment Programme
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

About the Intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment
In February 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution (5/14) was adopted to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

For more information, please contact:
Moses Osani, Media Officer, UN Environment Programme