As week two commenced after a day dedicated to informal meetings, it was clear that delegates were ready to shift gears to meet the deadline for negotiating a new agreement to end plastic pollution. They met all day in contact and informal groups as the resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) to develop an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, entered its fifth day.
Contact groups met to both hear progress on informal discussions, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, and to continue discussions on substantive matters. They addressed articles on health as well as on capacity building, technical assistance and technology transfer, including international cooperation. On the former, there was still an open question about whether a standalone article would be included in the future treaty, or whether elements of it would be reflected in different parts of the text.
Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.
On the latter, they exchanged views on the establishment of an international cooperation mechanism related to capacity building, technical assistance and technology transfer. Many developing countries saw the value of this mechanism, which could assist them in implementing the future ILBI. Several developed countries had reservations about establishing the mechanism, raising concerns about the administrative and budgetary implications for the future ILBI secretariat.
Informal groups met throughout the day, addressing:
- the ILBI’s preamble;
- principles and possible approaches;
- [sustainable consumption and production of] [product design] [problematic] plastic products;
- the design of plastics;
- releases and leakages;
- plastic waste management;
- existing and/or legacy plastic waste/pollution or the remediation of plastic pollution;
- financial [resources and] mechanism;
- the linkages between national [action] plans, reporting, and effectiveness evaluation; and
- a new article on the ILBI’s relationship with other agreements.
Although there was much to get through, delegates worked in a collegial atmosphere in discussing issues on which there are clear divergences. Some groups engaged in lengthy procedural discussions about which articles to prioritize, which some noted was taking up time that could be used in negotiating text. Throughout the day, individual delegates and groups of delegations held closed-door discussions with INC Chair Luis Vayas to reach agreement on process and on intractable substantive issues.
Contact groups and informal discussions are set to continue on Tuesday, 12 August.
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All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For INC 5.2 please use: Photo by IISD/ENB - Kiara Worth
Contact Group 1
Delegates huddle during Contact Group 1
Delegates from the Like-Minded Countries huddle in the corridors
Delegates enjoy a moment together after the huddle
Contact Group 2
Delegates gather for Contact Group 2
Amanda Finger, Switzerland, and Co-Facilitator for Informal Consultations on Article 8
Thuo Kinyua, Kenya, and Co-Facilitator for Informal Consultations on Article 7
Contact Group 2 Co-Chairs Peter Justice Dery, Ghana, and Tuulia Toikka, Finland
Claudia Taboada Flores, Dominican Republic, and Co-Facilitator for Informal Consultations on Article 9
Pieter Vervinckt, Belgium, and Co-Facilitator for Informal Consultations on Article 9
Contact Group 3
Delegates gather to continue discussions under Contact Group 3
Leticia Zamora Zumbado, Costa Rica, and Elfriede-Anna More, Austria, and Co-Facilitators for Informal Consultations on Article 11
Contact Group 3 Co-Chair Gwen Sisior, Palau
Guidance is provided for what the informal consultations should focus on
Amr Abdel-Aziz, Egypt
Safiya Sawney, Grenada
Delegates raise their placards to speak
Salem Al Mahamel, Kuwait
Mohammad Ayoub, Saudi Arabi
Djibouti calls a point of order on behalf of all developing countries
Delegates from Grenada, Fiji, and Brazil consult
The Contact Group Co-Chairs consult with the INC Secretariat
Delegates huddle to find a way forward
Miguel Luís, EU
Hibaa-Haibado Ismael Houssein, Djibouti
Contact Group 4
Delegates gather for Contact Group 4
Kiggundu Juliet Namirimu, Uganda, and Co-Facilitator for Informal Consultations on Article 19
Clement Yow Mulalap, Federated States of Micronesia
Contact Group 4 Co-Chair Go Kobayashi, Japan
Delegates consult during the session
Informal Consultations Throughout the Day
Informal consultations on Article 5
Informal consultation on Article 9
Informal consultations on Article 11
Special Event: BRS Signing Agreement to Address Plastic Pollution
A €2 million agreement is signed between the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions Secretariat and French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) to tackle plastic pollution in Cabo Verde, Senegal, and 10 Francophone West African countries
Around the Venue
Black Women for Wellness, The Descendants Project, and #BreakFreeFromPlastic hold a press conference, highlighting how black communities in the US are disproportionately affected by plastic pollution
Delegates from Norway and India speak informally
Delegates from Palau speak informally
Cheikh Sylla, Senegal, speaks with a delegate
Delegates meet informally throughout the day
Contact Group 2 Co-Chair Tuulia Toikka, Finland, consults with delegates
Delegates from Monaco
Contact Group 4 Co-Chair Linroy Christian, Antigua and Barbuda, consults with delegates
