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INC-4: Negotiations on a Global Plastics treaty Started in Ottawa, Canada

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 25-04-2024
INC-4: Negotiations on a Global Plastics treaty Started in Ottawa, Canada Summit and Conference 4 min read

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) began in Ottawa, Canada. 

  • The committee is working towards developing an international legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. 
  • The goal is to finalize the text of the instrument at the next session, INC-5, in November. During INC-4, members will also plan intersessional work to further develop the text.
  • This meeting is in response to a resolution adopted by the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), which requested the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director to convene an INC to address plastic pollution.
  • INC-4 is the second-to-last stage of negotiations, following three prior rounds: INC-1 in Punta del Este in November 2022, INC-2 in Paris in June 2023, and INC-3 in Nairobi in November 2023. 
  • INC-5 will take place in Busan, the Republic of Korea, from November 25 to December 2, 2024, and is intended to conclude the INC process. After INC-5, a Diplomatic Conference will be held where Heads of State will sign the agreement.
  • In February 2024, Canada hosted a Ministerial meeting with the other host countries of the INC process (France, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, and Uruguay) at the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

Single-use plastic products

  • Single-use plastic products, which have low utility and high potential to cause littering, must be eliminated and replaced with reusable products that follow the principles of a circular economy. 
  • In March 2019, the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) passed a resolution on "Addressing Single-use Plastic Products Pollution", which urges member states to take appropriate actions to promote the identification and development of environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use plastic products, while taking into account the entire life cycle implications of such alternatives.

India's efforts to end plastic

  • India has introduced new regulations on 12th August 2021 to get rid of certain single-use plastic items that are not very useful, but cause a lot of littering. 
  • The aim is to phase out these items by 1st July 2022. The items that will be eliminated include plastic bags, sticks for balloons, candy and ice-cream sticks, polystyrene, plastic plates, glasses, cutlery (like plastic forks, spoons, knives, and trays), and plastic stirrers.
  • In 2016, India made it mandatory for producers, importers, and brand owners to take responsibility for the plastic packaging waste that they create.

FAQ

Answer: Ottawa, Canada

Answer: Busan, the Republic of Korea

Answer: 2019
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