The final round of negotiations to draft a Global Plastics Treaty kicked off on Tuesday, August 5, in Geneva, Switzerland with a renewed push to strike a deal that could drastically reshape how the world produces, uses, and disposes of plastics.
Delegates from over 180 countries, including African nations, have gathered for 10 critical days of talks, where the stakes are high, and the clock is ticking.
In her opening address, Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), acknowledged the tough road ahead: “You will need to work in the spirit of solidarity and compromise, as you have done before,” she told the room. “But I believe you can leave Geneva with a treaty.”
The treaty, if agreed upon, will be the first global legally binding agreement targeting the entire lifecycle of plastics — from production to disposal. For Africa, which bears the brunt of plastic pollution but produces the least, this is more than a diplomatic process. It’s a fight for environmental justice.
Griffins Ochieng, Executive Director of Kenya’s Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD), delivered a strong message on behalf of African civil society: “This is Africa’s moment to demand a treaty that truly protects our people and our planet. It must reflect the lived realities of our communities, and not the interests of powerful petrochemical companies.”
Across the continent, plastics clog rivers, pollute the air, destroy marine ecosystems, and expose communities to toxic chemicals. A 2024 report by CEJAD, Dangerous Fun, found hazardous chemicals in plastic toys and household items linked to cancer, respiratory illnesses, and reproductive disorders.
The current round of talks, formally known as INC-5.2 (Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee), follows the breakdown of previous negotiations in Busan, South Korea. Delegates now face the challenge of turning ambition into action.
Key issues under negotiation include limiting plastic production, not just managing waste; eliminating toxic additives used in plastics; banning single-use plastics; holding producers accountable through extended responsibility mechanisms and promoting sustainable alternatives and improved design standards.
However, tensions remain with a handful of major oil and petrochemical-producing countries — informally dubbed the “like-minded group” — being accused of stalling progress, pushing to limit the treaty’s focus to waste management, and resisting caps on plastic production.
Over 1,000 scientists have signed a declaration urging negotiators to back a robust, science-based treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040. They argue that piecemeal clean-up efforts won’t work unless production is drastically reduced.
“Plastics are not just a waste problem. They are a production problem, a health problem, and a justice problem,” said Karen Landmark of GRID-Arendal, a global environmental non-profit.
Dr. Cressida Bowyer of the University of Portsmouth emphasized that the treaty must also protect human health: “The evidence is overwhelming. Plastics are harming people at every stage from manufacture to disposal.”
Greenpeace Africa’s Pan-African Plastics Lead, Hellen Dena, cautioned African leaders: “Africa must not become the dumping ground for the Global North’s waste or be forced into accepting polluting technologies like incineration under the guise of ‘solutions.’”
Dena’s comments reflect growing frustration with false promises of “waste-to-energy” solutions that often worsen pollution in low-income communities.
The High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, co-chaired by Rwanda and Norway, has called on its member states to remain united in pushing for a full-lifecycle approach and clear, enforceable global rules.
“Will the progressive majority deliver a treaty worthy of its ambition or settle for compromises that leave the root causes untouched?” asked Magnus Lovold, an international law expert.
With over 3,700 delegates and observers gathered in Geneva, this final round of negotiations is being seen as the last, best chance to turn decades of plastic pollution into meaningful global action.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Landmark concludes. “The world is watching — and expecting results. A strong, legally binding plastics treaty is the only way forward. We don’t have another option.”
If successful, the treaty could be adopted as early as 2026. But much will depend on whether negotiators can overcome political resistance and act with the urgency that science and the suffering on the ground demands.
But Africa’s message is clear: the world cannot recycle its way out of this crisis. It must stop plastic at the source.
