Negotiations For Treaty To End Plastic Pollution Close Amid Disagreements

"NAIROBI, Kenya — The latest round of negotiations to craft a treaty to end global plastic pollution closed late on Sunday after strained talks in Nairobi, Kenya, where delegates failed to reach a consensus on how to advance a draft of the treaty after a week of negotiations.

Environmental advocates criticized the outcome of the weeklong United Nations-led meeting on plastic pollution, saying oil-producing countries successfully employed stalling tactics designed to weaken the treaty.

Delegates were expected to discuss a draft published in September that represented the views from the first two meetings. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for Plastics is mandated with creating the first international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution in five rounds of negotiations.

Member states decided to move forward with a revision of the draft, which has become longer during this third round of negotiations and will be even more difficult to advance, participants said. States also failed to reach a consensus on intersessional work to discuss crucial parts of the draft to be done ahead of the fourth round of negotiations."

Carlos Mureithi reports for the Associated Press November 20, 2023.

SEE ALSO:

"U.N. Plastic Treaty Talks Grapple With Re-Use, Recycle, Reduce Debate" (Reuters)

"Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Flock to Plastics Treaty Talks as Scientists,  Environmentalists Seek Conflict of Interest Policies" (Inside Climate News)

"This Week in Nairobi, Nations Gather for a Third Round of Talks on an International Plastics Treaty, Focusing on Its Scope and Ambition" (Inside Climate News)

"At Talks On Cutting Plastics Pollution, Plastic Credits Are On The Table. What Are They?" (AP)