Declaration Released at United Nations Oceans Conference
Plastics Treaty Negotiations Continue August 5-14
Nice, France – On the second day of the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France (June 9-13), ministers and representatives from 95 countries (the majority of United Nations Member States) released a declaration entitled, “The Nice Wake-Up Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty.” The statement sets the stage for the next round of negotiations (INC-5.2) taking place in Geneva, Switzerland from August 5-14. Following the release of the declaration, over 235 civil society organizations released their own statement in response, supporting the Nice declaration as a “floor, not a ceiling” of ambition in the upcoming talks.
Ana Rocha, GAIA’s Global Plastics Policy Director, states, “We are heartened to see this demonstration of ambition from the majority of countries, who are showing a united front against the small number of petro-chemical states trying to prevent a strong treaty. While there are several crucial elements missing from the statement, it is a strong starting point for negotiations. We now need these Member States to continue to stand their ground, and secure the historic treaty the world needs.”
Civil society leaders applauded the statement’s reaffirmation of the need for a treaty to have a global target for plastic production reduction, to phase out the most problematic plastic products and hazardous chemicals, and to include monitoring and reporting mechanisms to ensure that countries remain on target, as well as with room to strengthen commitments based on emerging science, health, and environmental impacts.
However, the statement was missing reference to a just transition, particularly for informal waste pickers and workers, and health and human rights, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The statement does not fully emphasize systems shift, especially reuse and refill, a financial mechanism that enables implementation and compliance, and the need for national obligations to meet global targets.
Larisa de Orbe, from Acción Ecológica in Mexico states, “We already have enough evidence of how human rights are violated throughout the entire plastics cycle. It is therefore essential that the spirit of the plastics treaty be the protection of human rights and environmental justice, rather than protecting the economic and political interests of polluters.”
Mohamed Kamal of the Greenish Foundation in Egypt states, “The Nice Wake-Up Call Declaration underscores the importance of strong positions on key articles and measures necessary to effectively address plastic pollution. However, it falls short in acknowledging the need for a new and independent financial mechanism, an essential element for ensuring the success of the treaty that was called for by over 120 countries in INC5 and championed by Africa.”
GAIA members also caution against harmful waste management approaches like “waste-to-energy” incineration, chemical “recycling,” and plastic credits, which will only exacerbate the plastics crisis.
A line in the statement also calls for standard decision-making practices, if consensus cannot be reached. At previous INC’s, petro-chemical states have attempted to buck convention and stall progress by refusing to accept a provision for voting, essentially allowing a single Member State to prevent the world from solving the plastic crisis.
Wong Si Peng of C4 Center in Malaysia states, “Decision-making through voting – once all efforts to reach consensus have been exhausted – is vital for the future Conference of Parties to be effective. Voting should not be misconstrued as abandoning alliances or cooperation – instead, through voting, member states protect both their sovereignty and the rights of the citizens they represent at the negotiation table.”
Press contacts:
Global: Claire Arkin, claire@no-burn.org | +1 973 444 4869
Africa: Carissa Marnce, carissa@no-burn.org
Latin America and the Caribbean: Camila Aguilera, camila@no-burn.org
Asia Pacific: Robi Kate Miranda, robi@no-burn.org | +63 9275854157
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GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries. With our work, we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero-waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.
