The INC-5 on Plastic Pollution Opened in Busan, South Korea
2024-11-29
On the morning of November 25th local time, the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution opened in Busan, South Korea, attended by more than 1400 negotiators from 178 UN member states, as well as over 2300 representatives from intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and the media.
A delegation from China, led by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and jointly participated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and relevant research institutions and industry associations, attended the meeting.
Plastic pollution is a major environmental challenge faced by the international community and has been a key focus of attention at previous United Nations Environment Conferences. In March 2022, the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly passed the "Resolution on Ending Plastic Pollution (Draft)", which decided to establish an intergovernmental negotiating committee and develop a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution (including plastic pollution in the marine environment) through five sessions by the end of 2024. The first four sessions were held in Uruguay, France, Kenya, and Canada, where member states fully expressed their views and opinions on how to effectively address plastic pollution.
The fifth session was the last one to complete the document negotiations within the authorized period, which received widespread attention from member states and various sectors of the international community. All parties had high expectations for completing the negotiations in Busan.
The Chinese delegation stated that as China has always attached great importance to the prevention and control of plastic pollution, it has established a comprehensive plastic pollution control system through systematic policy measures, achieving significant results. On the basis of domestic plastic pollution control and management, China has played an active role in the negotiation process by exchanging views with all other parties and bridging differences among member states as it strives to make positive contributions to the achievement of practical and feasible international instruments.
A delegation from China, led by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and jointly participated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and relevant research institutions and industry associations, attended the meeting.
Plastic pollution is a major environmental challenge faced by the international community and has been a key focus of attention at previous United Nations Environment Conferences. In March 2022, the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly passed the "Resolution on Ending Plastic Pollution (Draft)", which decided to establish an intergovernmental negotiating committee and develop a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution (including plastic pollution in the marine environment) through five sessions by the end of 2024. The first four sessions were held in Uruguay, France, Kenya, and Canada, where member states fully expressed their views and opinions on how to effectively address plastic pollution.
The fifth session was the last one to complete the document negotiations within the authorized period, which received widespread attention from member states and various sectors of the international community. All parties had high expectations for completing the negotiations in Busan.
The Chinese delegation stated that as China has always attached great importance to the prevention and control of plastic pollution, it has established a comprehensive plastic pollution control system through systematic policy measures, achieving significant results. On the basis of domestic plastic pollution control and management, China has played an active role in the negotiation process by exchanging views with all other parties and bridging differences among member states as it strives to make positive contributions to the achievement of practical and feasible international instruments.