By Tina George
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) has been tasked to draft an international agreement on plastic pollution which would be a legally binding instrument to countries around the world.
This task was assigned to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) during its second session which came to a close on Saturday in France.
The INC Chair, supported by the Secretariat, was assigned the responsibility of preparing a preliminary version of the agreement, known as the zero drafts, in preparation for the upcoming session in Nairobi, Kenya, scheduled for November.
Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) expressed optimism regarding the progress made at INC-2 and the mandate to develop the zero draft of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
Andersen called on Member States to sustain this positive momentum and stressed the importance of crafting an agreement that is comprehensive, innovative, inclusive, and transparent. She emphasized the need for scientific grounding and stakeholder input, as well as support for developing nations.
Andersen stated, “Plastic has been the go-to choice for design for far too long. It is time to revamp products to minimize plastic use, particularly unnecessary and problematic plastics. We must also rethink product packaging and shipping methods to reduce plastic consumption, promote reuse and recyclability, and address broader systemic issues of justice. The INC has the potential to drive this transformative change, presenting significant opportunities for all.”
During the first day of the session, Member States elected Georgia, Estonia, Sweden, and the United States to the Bureau while discussions on voting rights resulted in an agreement on an interpretive paragraph for the Draft Rules of Procedure, which will be provisionally applied to the INC’s work.
In his closing remarks, INC Chair, Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez expressed gratitude to the French government and UNESCO for hosting the session extending his appreciation to the Member States, observers, co-facilitators, and support staff for their contributions to the discussions.
Velasquez assured attendees of his commitment to faithfully reflect their deliberations, as well as the views and contributions of Member States, in the zero draft.
As part of its decision, the INC requested the Secretariat to invite submissions from observers by 15 August and from Member States by 15 September.
These submissions will address topics not covered in INC-2, such as the principles and scope of the instrument, as well as potential areas for intercessional work identified by the co-facilitators of the two contact groups. The collected inputs will inform the discussions at INC-3.
Over 1,700 participants, including more than 700 delegates representing 169 Member States and over 900 NGO observers were in attendance for the session.
The event was hosted at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
INC-2 follows the initial session, INC-1, held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November 2022.
