Delegates say latest treaty draft “regresses” from global mandate, leaves out key environmental protections
By Bunmi Yekini
Global South governments and civil society organisations have called for ambitious, legally binding global measures to curb plastic production, rejecting the latest treaty draft as a step backwards.
The demand was made during a media briefing on the closing day of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), hosted by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).
Representatives from Ethiopia and Fiji joined environmental groups from Tunisia, Malaysia and Mexico to voice alarm over the omission of key provisions — including a dedicated article on health and measures to cut plastic production — from the Chair’s revised text released yesterday.
“Consensus is not democracy. It ignores the will of the vast majority of member states and, unfortunately, has to cater to the wish list of the petro-states and fossil fuel industry,” said Merrisa Naidoo, GAIA Africa’s Plastics Program Manager.
Semia Gharbi, Chairperson of Tunisia’s Association de l’Education Environnementale pour les Futures Générations, criticised the removal of the health article from the text, warning: “We have to remind our delegates that we must protect the environment. With a growing plastic crisis, we cannot ignore science.”
From Southeast Asia, SiPeng Wong of Malaysia’s C4 Center cautioned against the unchecked growth of waste, much of which ends up exported to developing nations. “Malaysia alone receives over 415 million kg of waste from Global North countries. Without reducing the generation of waste, we will end up having to manage it,” she said.
Dr. Larisa de Orbe of Acción Ecológica México added that plastic pollution has already exceeded the limits of what people and nature can handle. “Our government must negotiate free from industry pressure in order to truly safeguard the health and well-being of current and future generations,” she said.
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Sivendra Michael, said the latest draft represents “a serious regression” from the 2022 UNEA 5/14 mandate. “We can’t continue mopping the floor without turning the tap. We need legally binding global measures to control production,” he said.
Ethiopia’s Chief of Staff at the Environmental Protection Authority, Hiwot Hailu, praised the role of advocacy groups, calling civil society “the engine of the negotiating process.” She urged them to keep applying pressure “to ensure negotiations don’t lose sight of our shared goals, and to continue advocacy for a legally binding plastic treaty that protects people and our planet.”
According to GAIA, the removed provisions had broad backing, including plastic production cuts supported by over 100 countries, harmful chemical phaseouts, a health article backed by nearly 130 countries, and a strong financial mechanism supported by over 150 countries.