Negotiating states for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution ended their fifth session, agreeing on a “non-paper by the Committee Chair” that will serve as a starting point for negotiations to resume in 2025.

More than 3,300 delegates, including members representing more than 170 nations and observers from over 440 organizations, gathered in Busan, Republic of Korea, for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on Plastic Pollution.

After days of discussion and negotiations, reaching a final text was impossible.

“At INC5, we did not reach an agreement, and unfortunately, we did not achieve a final text for the treaty. Stalling tactics and lobbying by the petrochemical industry have delayed the agreement, and more time will be needed to negotiate”, explained Katherine Arroyo Arce, executive director of MarViva Foundation.

Arroyo Arce added that the position of a small group seeking to eliminate from the text binding provisions indispensable for the treaty to be effective is of concern.

“A treaty that lacks these elements and relies only on voluntary measures is unacceptable”, she added.

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