Towards an international Plastic Pollution Treaty

Background

The international community is taking steps to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution by organizing negotiation talks on the creation of a legally binding treaty. The hope is that the treaty, once finalized and implemented, will have far-reaching effects in addressing the problem of plastic pollution, which is affecting not only our oceans but also the land and the health of humans and the environment.

The International Science Council (ISC) has been contributing integrated scientific inputs through policy briefs and statements. The Council is supporting the engagement of scientists across the natural and social sciences to be part of the deliberations and share the latest scientific evidence.

Activities and impact

• March 2022: the United Nations Environment Assembly endorsed a landmark resolution to create a legally binding treaty.
• November 2022: the first negotiation talks take place in Uruguay. The ISC facilitated the participation of the scientific community, which called for a prominent role for scientific evidence and monitoring.
• May – June 2023: the second meeting takes place in France, followed by regional consultations.
• November 2023: in preparation for the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, the ISC released a policy brief calling for the urgent establishment of a robust science-policy-society interface to tackle the persistent and long-term issue of global plastic pollution.