the new round of negotiations on plastic pollution control by the united nations, which lasted for one week, ended in ottawa, the capital of canada, in the early hours of april 30th.

this negotiation is the fourth session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (inc-4) aimed at developing a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution (including plastic pollution in the marine environment). the committee is established to develop a global agreement on plastic pollution control by the end of this year. more than 2500 representatives from 170 united nations member states and over 480 observer organizations participated in this round of negotiations.

the chinese delegation, in an interview with xinhua news agency reporters after the meeting, said that the meeting has received high attention from all parties. after 7 days of intensive consultations, all parties had further supplemented their opinions on the basis of the zero text before the meeting. while some progress has been made in the revision of the text, there are still significant differences. as it is extremely challenging to achieve a task of a binding international instrument by the end of this yearr, all parties should focus on the core issue of plastic pollution, fully respect the national conditions and capabilities of each country and seek common ground while reserving differences ahead.

the chinese delegation stated that the decision on inter conference work arrangements and the establishment of a legal drafting group was a significant achievement of this meeting. the chinese side actively participated in consultations with a constructive attitude, proposing chinese solutions on various issues and expressing positions to the chairman of the conference, developing and developed countries during the conference to enhance understanding. besides, they coordinated texts with major member countries on major issues of inter meeting work so as promote the bridging of differences and reach consensus.

the chinese delegation stated that the establishment of an inter meeting working group will provide strong information and decision-making support for the next consultation of the negotiating committee.

at the meeting, the exec　utive director of the united nations environment programme, inge arnold, called on member states to continue to demonstrate commitment and flexibility in the months leading up to the final negotiation deadline by the end of this year, in order to achieve their maximum aspirations.

the 5th united nations environment assembly resumed its session in march 2022 in nairobi, the capital of kenya where the draft resolution on ending plastic pollution was passed. the resolution points out the establishment of an intergovernmental negotiating committee to reach an internationally legally binding agreement by 2024, covering the entire lifecycle of plastic products, including their production, design, recycling, and disposal.

to this end, the united nations environment programme is entrusted by governments of various countries to organize and manage the work of relevant intergovernmental negotiating committees. the first three sessions were held in uruguay, france, and kenya respectively. the planned fifth and final session will begin on november 25, 2024 in busan, south korea.