INC-5 Officially Opened! | CBCGDF Delegation Attended the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the "Plastic Treaty" on Site

At 10:15 am on November 25, 2024, Seoul time, the fifth session of the  Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on Plastic Pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5) officially opened at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) in southern South Korea. As an observer to INC-5, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) INC-5 delegation was invited to attend the opening ceremony. The following is a report sent back by the CBCGDF INC-5 delegation from Busan:

The first item of the opening ceremony: Ambassador Luis Valas Valdivieso, Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, delivered a welcome speech: There are 7 days to face so many challenges, contact group meetings, spare no effort to work, no time to waste, make full use of time, some problems still exist, we have a consensus-to jointly take the initiative to solve the problem of plastic pollution. Let us fully utilize the tools of multilateralism and formulate an ambitious treaty within the scope of collective will.

The second item of the opening ceremony: Speech by Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP). Indigenous peoples and scientists are speaking out. Reading a child's drawing, plastic pollution is coming. People are using plastic. We don't have money to pay for tuition. This is the document we need to bring about a historic change. We must achieve this mission. I hope we can reach a consensus at a faster speed. Although there are some differences, member states are gradually reaching consensus on some issues. We still need to take more actions. Several points of focus this week: problems with plastics and cosmetics products. There are some ingredients that we don't want to appear. We need to list these ingredients, and we also need to reach a consensus on alternatives and start discussions; the second is the resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) requiring us to produce and consume plastics and achieve full life cycle use; the third issue is that multilateral agreements are crucial to financial issues. It is recommended to establish a multilateral fund to discuss how the financial mechanism works, to urge everyone to fully support the chairman's resolution and focus on the discussion of several key issues, but don't lower the standards of the negotiations, otherwise the negotiations will be meaningless.

 

The third item of the opening ceremony: South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol delivered a welcome speech.

Opening Ceremony 4: Video speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea. For its part, South Korea firmly supports reaching an agreement that is operational, based on international politics, and suitable for the national conditions of each country. Let Busan become a milestone in ending plastic pollution.

Opening Ceremony 5: Live speech by the Minister of Environment of South Korea. This conference is a decisive moment that determines the trajectory of national development in the next few decades. It will mark a turning point in our efforts to fight plastic pollution and a turning point for the health of our planet and humanity. Thank you to the INC Secretariat for its efforts during the meeting and during the intersessional period, which played an important role in mutual understanding and promoting dialogue.

Opening Ceremony 6: Speech by Ms. Jyoti Mathur-Philip, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Secretariat. Since the adoption of the resolution by the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022, we have reached an ambitious and critical moment in just two years. Thank you for the continued participation of observer organizations, emphasize the role of inclusive environmental multilateralism, thank you for the role of the President throughout his term, and finally thank the donors for their generous contributions, thank you Australia, France, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the United States, the European Commission and other countries for their contributions. The United Nations conduct is prepared for all UN conferences. The success or failure of the negotiations will shape our world. Our team will support you. We know that people have high expectations for this conference and we must make it happen.

 

The opening ceremony ends.

                                                  (This article is compiled from staff notes.)

Original article:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/58L4FERuDi6gcFhr2TVX7A

Translator: Daisy

Reviewed by Sara

Editor: Daisy

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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