As the plastics pollution crisis continues to grow by the day, so does the case for a global plastics treaty that tackles the issue head-on and seeks to reduce the production of virgin plastics.
In the (potential) final year of negotiations for a new international legally binding instrument (ILBI) to end plastic pollution, negotiators will meet for its fourth session in Ottawa, Canada from 23-29 April.
In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted resolution 5/14 titled “End Plastic Pollution: Towards an International Legally Binding Instrument.” The resolution convenes an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) to develop a new global agreement combatting plastic pollution, otherwise referred to as the global plastics treaty (GPT).
Ahead of the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3), the Chair, in cooperation with the Secretariat, has prepared a Zero Draft (ZD) of the text to form the basis for negotiations to develop a new legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.