From 5 to 14 August 2025 the second part of the fifth session (INC-5.2) form the “Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee” (INC) talks to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution where held in Geneva, Switzerland, by the “United Nations Environment Programme” (UNEP).
Due to the resistance of fossil fuel producing countries, the UNEP INC failed to agree on and assign an agreement (cf. press release from UNEP).
“This has been a hard-fought 10 days against the backdrop of geopolitical complexities, economic challenges, and multilateral strains. However, one thing remains clear: despite these complexities, all countries clearly want to remain at the table.”
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
With all the greatest respect and acknowledgement, multilateralism is not able to successful mitigate our current global challenges. We see this first of all with the failed “UNFCCC COPs” on mitigating global warming & climate change. There was some progress with mitigating the loss of biodiversity (cf. UN CBD COP16), but this is closely related to global warming & climate change. Without successful significant reducing global “greenhouse gas” emissions, there will be no progress with the loss of biodiversity.
The same we observe now with the committed and well elaborated UNEP initiative to mitigate plastic pollution. The current political decision structure hinders further progress. We know from organisation theory, “structure is stronger than process”. So to actually boost the mitigation process, we (first) have to rethink the structure. We pledge for the development of the current multilateralism towards new (direct) global democracy.
picture taken from IISD/ENB – Kiara Worth: “INC-5.2 adjourns, without adopting a treaty to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment” (2025/08/15)