Highlights and images for 18 November 2023

On the sixth day of the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3) to develop an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, delegates engaged in discussions on revised sections of the Zero Draft text of the ILBI and Synthesis Report, considering the way forward.

In contact group sessions, which convened throughout the day, delegates carried out a “validation” exercise of the contents of the revised Draft, ensuring that all submissions had been reflected in the compiled text. In the morning, contact Group 1, co-facilitated by Gwendalyn Kingtaro Sisior (Palau) and Axel Borchmann (Germany), worked on merging various proposals in the revised provisions related to the objective, primary plastic polymers, and chemicals and polymers of concern. In the afternoon, the group also engaged in a validation exercise of the content of the submissions related to waste management, existing plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and just transition. Discussions continued into the night.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

Contact Group 2, co-facilitated by Katherine Lynch (Australia) and Oliver Boachie (Ghana), finalized a first reflection of the revised sections of the Draft, ensuring that all submissions had been adequately captured in the draft. They considered provisions related to:

• capacity building, technical assistance and technology transfer;
• national plans;
• reporting;
• international cooperation;
• information exchange;
• awareness-raising, education and research; and
• stakeholder engagement.

Contact Group 3, co-facilitated by Marine Collignon (France) and Danny Rahdiansyah (Indonesia), reviewed a revised proposal regarding the preamble, principles, definitions, and scope of the Zero Draft. In the late afternoon, views diverged on the way forward, with some delegations calling for all submissions to be included in the revised Zero Draft, and others preferring a more concise draft. Discussions in this group also continued into the night.

A planned stocktaking plenary scheduled for Saturday was postponed to Sunday, to allow delegations more time to complete a first review of the contents to be included in the revised Zero Draft.