Urgency and Challenges in Finalizing Global Plastic Pollution Treaty

By Dan Kaburu

The Center for Environment Justice and Development (CEJD), in collaboration with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, recently hosted a media roundtable to discuss the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process for the global treaty on plastic pollution. This treaty negotiation will take place in South Korea later this month.

The roundtable aimed to update journalists on the progress of the INC process, which has been underway since mid-2022, and to explore comprehensive strategies for addressing plastic pollution throughout its entire life cycle.

Media roundtable to discuss the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process for the global treaty on plastic pollution | Dan Kaburu

In March 2022, during the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in Nairobi, a historic resolution was adopted calling for the development of an international, legally binding instrument to tackle plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

To date, four INC sessions have been held, with the fifth round of negotiations scheduled for November 25–December 1, 2024, in Busan, South Korea. The goal of these negotiations is to finalize and adopt a global treaty on plastic pollution, as mandated by the UNEA-5.2 resolution.

However, there are growing concerns that INC 5 may not result in a widely agreed-upon document, given that the previous four INC sessions have yet to deliver a clear and actionable roadmap for achieving an international treaty.

“There is a possibility that, without a consensus at INC 5, we may see a sixth negotiating session,” said Griffins Ochieng’, Programmes Coordinator at CEJD. “Additionally, certain sections of the treaty, or ‘annexes’, could extend discussions even further.”

In attendance to the media round table is Environmentalist Award Winner Dan Kaburu CEO for Big3africa (*Unicum Octava Kenya LTD*) | Courtesy

A key focus of the roundtable was the need for the global treaty to address both social and environmental injustices, particularly in Africa, which remains one of the continents hardest hit by the effects of plastic pollution.

As the negotiations move forward, the importance of ensuring a fair, inclusive, and robust global treaty on plastic pollution becomes increasingly clear—one that not only tackles the environmental impact but also addresses the socio-economic challenges faced by vulnerable communities, particularly in the Global South.