International legally binding agreement on plastics
Type
International treaty
In 2022, the UN Environment Assembly resolved to end plastic pollution with an international treaty that would address the plastics life cycle, from design to production and disposal. The UN member states agreed to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) with the mandate of creating a legally-binding international agreement by the end of 2024. The resolution was entitled "End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument."[1][2][3][4]
As of 2025, the INC had met six times but failed to make progress as petrochemical producing nations were unable to achieve a consensus with the nations ambitious for effective regulations and restrictions. The text of the draft treaty either contained hundreds of disputed details or was so insubstantial that the ambitious nations refused to accept it.[5] Following the failure of the Geneva meeting in August 2025, Inger Andersen of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which hosted the committee, said that time would be needed for the nations to regroup.[6]
Timeline
Following UNEA-5.2, the mandate specified that the INC must begin its work by the end of 2022 with the goal of "completing a draft global legally binding agreement by the end of 2024."[7]
Work towards the treaty began with the meeting of an ad hoc open-ended working group in Dakar from May 30 through June 1, 2022.[8] During that meeting, Member States established a timeline for subsequent meetings through the end of 2024, rules of procedure, and the initial scope of work for the first meeting of the INC.[9]
The first meeting of the negotiating committee (INC-1) took place in Punta del Este from November 28, 2022, through December 2, 2022. The agenda contained items including the formal adoption of the rules of procedure.[10] Over 2,300 delegates from 160 countries participated.[11]
The second meeting of the negotiating committee (INC-2) took place in Paris from May 29, 2023, through June 2, 2023.[12]
The fourth session (INC-4) took place from April 23–29, 2024 in Ottawa. 196 fossil fuel lobbyists attended – more than the number of scientists.[15][16][17]
The fifth session, first part (INC-5.1) took place from November 25 to December 1, 2024, in Busan.[18]
Environmental art related to the global plastics treaty negotiations in Geneva in August 2025. The sculpture was installed by Benjamin Von Wong.The fifth session, second part (INC-5.2) took place from August 5 to 15, 2025 in Geneva.[19] The treaty was to be finalized at the conference of the plenipotentiaries.[20] The negotiations failed and no agreement was concluded.[21]
Content
Members agreed that the treaty should be international in scope, legally binding, and address the full life cycle of plastics, including their design, production, and disposal.[7] It has been argued that chemicals contained in plastics such as additives, processing aids, and unintentionally added substances need to be addressed too.[22][23]
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin provided a daily overview of the proceeding of negotiations.[24]
Support for the treaty
In the lead-up to UNEA-5.2, the majority of UN member states had expressed their support for a global treaty.[25] Other groups making public declarations about the need for a treaty included the business sector,[26] civil society, indigenous peoples,[27] workers, trade unions,[28]waste pickers[29] and scientists.[30][31]
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