Menu

Nouvelle

Road to Busan | Plastic Pollution INC-5

Mise à jour: 02 Déc 2024

Produits chimiques et pollution | Plastiques

ODD12

The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), is took place from 25 November to 1 December 2024 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in Busan, Republic of Korea. The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 24 November 2024.

About the International Negotiating Committee to Develop a Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution Process

For several years, plastic pollution has been a major issue raised at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and other global fora.

In March 2022, a historical resolution was adopted at the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly – End plastic pollution: towards an international legally binding instrument (UNEA 5/14), recognizing that “the high and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution represent a serious environmental problem at a global scale, negatively impacting the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development”. It mandated the UN Environment Programme Executive Director to convene an International Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop and adopt a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastics. This landmark decision thus launched the process towards a global plastics treaty, which should be developed by the end of 2024.

INC Frequently Asked Questions
More on International Cooperation on Plastic Pollution

Pre-INC-5 Sessions

The first five meetings for the development of the international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution took place in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Plastic Pollution INC-4

Learn more about preparations, and outcomes and find resources on the role of Geneva.

Plastic Pollution INC-3

Learn more about preparations, and outcomes and find resources on the role of Geneva.

Plastic Pollution INC-2

Learn more about preparations, and outcomes and find resources on the role of Geneva.

Plastic Pollution INC-1

Learn more about preparations, and outcomes and find resources on the role of Geneva.

Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee

The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), took place from 25 November to 1 December 2024 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in Busan, Republic of Korea. The session was preceded by regional consultations on 24 November 2024.

INC-5 | Official Website
Observers Engagement Guide

Outcomes

INC-5 was adjourned at 2.50 a.m. on Monday 2 December in Busan with an agreement that the ‘Chair’s Text’ shared on 1 December will serve as a basis for the resumed session at a later date in 2025. This session was the largest of the INC process, with over 3,360 participants, including delegates from more than 170 countries, and observers from more than 440 organizations.

During the closing plenary, in their statements all those who took the floor thanked the Chair, the co-chairs and facilitators, as well as the secretariat and the host country for their hard work and advancing the treaty to a point where the contours can now be seen in the Chair’s text. A majority of Member States reaffirmed their commitment to continue pushing for a robust and ambitious treaty, referring to a health-protective treaty to end plastic pollution that reduces the production of plastics, eliminates harm from toxic plastic chemicals, and is based on a foundation of protecting health and human rights. Some Member States also pointed to the absence of text and reflections, noting that the text did not always reflect the discussions that took place during the week. Various organizations expressed concern about the decision to exclude observers from the intersessional and the closing “informals”, which they found unjustified suggesting that the lack of transparency undermines the process and its outcomes.

INC-5 In-Session Documents

→ Access all in-session documents

Statements

Final statements and analyses on the outcomes of the meeting include:

Analyses and news at INC-5

Parallel Events

Youth and Stakeholder Assembly on Plastic Pollution

The Youth and Stakeholder Assembly on Plastic Pollution is a strategic gathering for stakeholders to share their perspectives on achieving a strong Plastics Treaty. Organized by the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG) and partners, this Assembly provides a key platform to advance advocacy efforts and develop a cohesive policy stance that reflects the demands and expectations of both youth and stakeholders. Building on the Global Youth Environment Assembly and the Global Youth Declaration on Environment, the Assembly aims to drive collective action on plastic pollution through shared ideas, strategies, and commitments. It took place on Sunday, 24 November 2024  at Dongseo University in Busan, Republic of Korea.

Other parallel events

INC-5 Working Documents

Compilation of draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment

Following the completion of the work of the contact groups and their respective subgroups at the fourth session, the committee requested the secretariat to issue a compilation of the five outcome documents of the subgroups, maintaining corresponding placeholders for potential annexes as contained in document UNEP/PP/INC.4/3, as an official document for its fifth session. The committee also requested the secretariat to standardize the formatting of the document, and to correct any clear typographical errors in the document, without making any substantive changes to its contents, and decided that this compilation document will be the starting point for continued negotiations at its fifth session with a view to completing its work on the instrument by the end of that session.

Compilation Document (UNEP/PP/INC.5/4)

Scenario note for the fifth session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment

Stressing the goal of INC-5 is to agree on and approve the text of an international legally binding instrument and to identify any issues and areas where preparatory work should be done in the interim period between the Diplomatic Conference and the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the document intends to guide Members in their preparations for INC-5 and to propose a way forward, with the aim of optimizing the limited time available for the completion of the negotiations.

Scenario Note (UNEP/PP/INC.5/2)

Note by the Chair providing further detail relevant to the organization of work at the fifth session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment

Following informal consultations with Members, mainly through an informal open-ended consultation meeting held at the level of Heads of Delegations on 11 November 2024, and by the contents of the non-paper 3,2, the INC Chair has released on 20 November 2024 a note providing detail and additional information relevant to the organization of INC-5. It aims to support our work in Busan with transparency, inclusivity, and constructive engagement. This document should be read together with the Scenario Note (UNEP/PP/INC.5/2), and contains information on the following:
a. Establishment of contact groups;
b. In-session documentation;
c. Schedule of work for the first three days of the session (Annex).

Note by the Chair (UNEP/PP/INC.5/7)

Report of the Co-chairs on the work of the ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert group to develop an analysis of potential sources, and means that could be mobilized, for implementation of the objectives of the instrument, including options for the establishment of a financial mechanism, alignment of financial flows, and catalyzing finance 

The report has been prepared by the Co-Chairs of the expert group for consideration by the committee and it reflects the outcomes of the work of the expert group in fulfilment of its mandate. It draws upon outcomes of its three virtual meetings and the in-person meeting in Bangkok. It is intended to facilitate a common understanding of the matters outlined in the mandate and to draw together the key information, issues and opportunities discussed during meetings of the expert group.

Co-Chairs EG-1 Report (UNEP/PP/INC.5/5)

Report of the Co-chairs on the work of the ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert group to identify and analyze criteria and non criteria based approaches with regard to plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastic products, and product design focusing on recyclability and reusability of plastic products, considering their uses and applications

In the report, the Co-Chairs have considered experts’ inputs through their responses to the online questionnaire,  discussions during the expert group’s virtual meetings, as well as exchanges over the course of the in-person meeting held from 24 to 28 August 2024, including as reflected in summaries of discussions made available during the meeting and participating experts’ comments on these. The report reflects and synthesizes the different expert views expressed in the most balanced and neutral manner possible, considering the group’s mandate and purpose, to provide the committee with a document that will be informative and help advance its work at the fifth session, without prejudging that work or its outcomes.

Co-Chairs EG2 Report (UNEP/PP/INC.5/6)

INC’s Chair Non-Paper

On 30 October 2024, the INC Chair released its third Non-paper to assist collective efforts to negotiate a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, during the pivotal round of negotiations at INC-5. The non-paper builds on contributions from governments, regional groups, specialized documents, observers, and international organizations with experience in multilateral environmental agreements. The non-paper recognizes the need to:

  • Focus the text on essential elements,
  • Make the best use of the 7 days remaining at INC-5 to conclude our negotiations, and
  • Ensure that the treaty is effective, implementable and fit for the purpose of ending plastic pollution.
INC Chair's Non-paper 3

INC-5 Information Documents

Information submitted by the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/PP/INC.5/INF/1)

Intersessional Work Ahead of INC-5

At its INC-4, the Committee decided to establish two ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups:

List of Nominated National Experts

Expert Group 1

An ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert group to develop an analysis of potential sources, and means that could be mobilized, for implementation of the objectives of the instrument, including options for the establishment of a financial mechanism, alignment of financial flows, and catalysing finance, for the consideration by the Committee at INC-5. The expert group is co-chaired by Ms. Kate Lynch of Australia and Mr. Oliver Boachie of Ghana.

Documents

Work Programme Expert Group 1 (9 August) | Agenda with annotations (7 August) | Co-chairs’ synthesis paper on finance (7 August)

Co-Chairs WG-1 Report (UNEP/PP/INC.5/5 ADVANCE)

Expert Group 2

An ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert group to identify and analyse criteria and non criteria based approaches regarding plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastic products, and product design focusing on recyclability and reusability of plastic products, considering their uses and applications, for the consideration by the Committee at INC-5. The expert group is co-chaired by Mr. Axel Borchmann of Germany, Ms. Gwen Sisior of Palau, and Mr. Luay Almukhtar of Iraq.

Ahead of the in-person intersessional meeting, the INC Secretariat circulated among experts a questionnaire to gather views to inform the discussions of this expert group. → Compilation of questionnaire responses for Expert Group 2

Documents

Expert Group 2 Work Programme (10 August) | Agenda with annotations (21 August) | Co-Chairs’ Synthesis Document (21 August)

Co-Chairs WG2 Report (UNEP/PP/INC.5/6 ADVANCE)

Meetings of the Expert Groups

  • The in-person expert groups meeting took place at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, Thailand from 24 to 28 August 2024.
  • The in-person meeting was complemented by up to three virtual meetings per expert group.

Preparatory Online Meetings

Ahead of the in-person meeting, online meetings for both expert groups were organized by the INC Secretariat.

Expert Group 1 met on 16 July 2024 | 1 August 2024 | 15 August 2024

Technical Resource Persons' presentation slides from Expert Group 1 in-person meeting

Expert Group 2  met on 18 July 2024 | 30 July 2024 | 13 August 2024

Technical Resource Persons' presentation slides from Expert Group 1 third virtual meeting (15 August 2024)  
Technical Resource Persons' presentation slides from Expert Group 2 in-person meeting 

News and Analyses on the Intersessional Period Work

Informal in-person meeting of Heads of Delegation (HoD) to the INC

The informal in-person meeting of Heads of Delegation (HoD) to the INC took place on 30 September and 1 October in Nairobi, Kenya. Each Member States of the United Nations, members of its specialized agencies, and regional economic integration organizations was be represented by a maximum of two representatives each, i.e. their Head of Delegation, or a designated alternate representative of the Head of Delegation, and one additional delegate to participate in this informal in-person meeting.

Open-ended Legal Drafting Group

At its fourth session (INC-4) the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, decided:

  1. To establish an open-ended legal drafting group to conduct a legal review of any elements of the draft text forwarded to it by the Committee with a view to ensuring that the text was drafted in a legally sound manner and make recommendations on the wording to the Committee for its consideration. In its work, the legal drafting group would not consider policy issues, and any policy issues it might identify in the course of its work would be referred back to the Committee;
  2. That the open-ended legal drafting group, which would commence its work at the fifth session, would be composed of legal experts from Members;
  3. To invite any Member wishing to do so to communicate to the Secretariat, by 15 August 2024, information on their legal expert, which would be made available on the website;
  4. That the meetings of the legal drafting group would be convened by the Co-chairs during the fifth session as and when needed;
  5. That the Co-chairs of the legal drafting group would be appointed by the Committee at its fifth session, based on a proposal by the Chair.

INC-5 Preparatory Events

Ahead of INC-5, actors from Geneva and beyond are mobilized through the organization of events and webinars to gather expertise and share the most advanced scientific knowledge.

Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues

Through the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues, the Geneva Environment Network and its partners support actors in the Geneva community and beyond, that are engaged in the INC process and other processes tackling plastic pollution. Ahead INC-5, the co-conveners of the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues organized events relevant to the upcoming negotiations.

Road to Busan | Strengthening the Health Aspects of the Future Plastics Treaty

14 November 2024

Road to Busan | Behind the Plastic Curtain

12 November 2024

Road to Busan | Plastics Treaty Talks: Designing an Effective Treaty

7 November 2024

Road to Busan | Launch and Panel Discussion | Analysis of Governments’ Authority to Mitigate Micro- and Nanoplastic Releases to Inform the Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations

6 November 2024

Road to Busan | Launch and Panel Discussion | Champions of Change – Business Leaders for Plastic Production Reduction

30 October 2024

Road to Busan | Prioritizing Principles of Accountability, Transparency and Justice in the Future Global Plastics Treaty

29 October 2024

Road to Busan | Biodiversity in the Future Global Plastics Treaty

16 October 2024

Road to Busan | Plastics Treaty Talks: Updates and the View to the Finish Line

4 October 2024

Human Rights in the Plastic Pollution Treaty | Geneva Toxic Free Talks 2024

19 September 2024

Human Rights in a Plastic Age: Challenges and Solutions | HRC57 Side Event

18 September 2024

Road to Busan | Potential Approaches to Plastic Products and Chemicals of Concern in the Plastics Treaty

7 August 2024

Road to Busan | Global Producer Responsibility for Plastic Pollution

23 July 2024

Launch and Panel Discussion | Status, Potentials and Risks of Chemical Recycling of Waste Plastics | Basel OEWG-14

26 June 2024

INC Secretariat Sessions Ahead of INC-5

Other Sessions Ahead of INC-5

International Geneva at INC-5

As a global hub for environmental governance, in particular for chemicals, waste and pollution issues, Geneva hosts many organizations whose work is highly relevant for the development of a new instrument on plastic pollution. Learn more about the organizations active in Geneva to tackle the plastic crisis through our Plastics and the Environment special section on “Addressing the Plastic Crisis from Geneva”.

Addressing the Plastic Crisis from Geneva

Aarhus Convention

Center for International Environmental Law | CIEL

Forum on Trade, Environment & SDGs (TESS)

Global Cities Hub

International Union for Conservation of Nature | IUCN

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner | OHCHR

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

World Health Organization

Additional Resources & News Ahead of INC-5

Who To Follow on X (Twitter)

#PlasticsTreaty #INC5

Who To Follow on Linkedin