Final round of negotiations on plastic pollution to kick off in Korea this week
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, second from left, speaks during a high-level meeting with officials from the member states of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, an auxiliary session held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in N.Y., Sept. 26, in this file photo provided by Cho's office. Yonhap
Korea will host the final round of international negotiations for a binding plastic regulation agreement this week, officials said Sunday, with attention paid to whether countries can reach an agreement amid a sharp division over regulatory approaches.
The fifth and final round of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5) will take place in the southern port city of Busan from Monday through Dec. 1, to be attended by delegations from 175 countries, Seoul officials said.
The INC was formed in 2022 under a U.N. resolution to develop an "international legally binding instrument" on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on the commitment to end plastic pollution by 2040.
It aims to draw up a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastics, from production and consumption to disposal, to protect the environment and human health from its negative impacts.
Despite four rounds of talks, little progress has been made due to disagreements over the scope of regulations, which are influenced by each country's interests.
The main sticking point in the negotiations has been whether to regulate the production of plastic polymers, a key raw material sourced from fossil fuels.
Countries like Britain, Germany, France and Japan, and the European Union, known as the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) group in the INC, have called for introducing measures to curb the plastic production. Korea, a major consumer and producer of plastics, belongs to this group.
A sculpture titled "Giant Plastic Tap" by Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong is displayed outside the fourth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution in Ottawa, Canada, April. 23. AFP-Yonhap
The Global Coalition for Plastics Sustainability, comprising major oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia, has argued that more focus should be placed on how to manage the plastic waste and promote recycling.
This week's INC will determine whether the member states will break the impasse and reach an agreement.
The chances of a breakthrough appear slim, however, as the division among the participating countries is unlikely to be resolved, according to officials involved in the negotiations.
"It is still uncertain whether the adoption of the agreement will be possible, and it is expected to be difficult," a foreign ministry official told reporters last week.
The official said it is crucial that the agreement is adopted within the given time frame, and that remains Korea's primary focus as the host for the final round of negotiations.
"Rather than the agreement not being adopted at all, it would be desirable for it to be adopted in some form, with actions implemented based on the agreement. We want to do our part in this direction," the official said.
The agreement must be unanimous.
The first INC took place in Uruguay in 2022, followed by the second session in France in 2023 and the third session in Kenya in the same year. Canada hosted the fourth session in April 2024. (Yonhap)