Hundreds of countries gather in Geneva to reach binding international treaty
(MENAFN) Delegates from 180 nations have gathered in Geneva for a new round of negotiations aimed at reaching a binding international treaty to combat plastic pollution, which United Nations officials have described as a worsening global crisis.
"We are facing a global crisis," said Ecuadoran diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso during the opening of the 10-day talks. He warned that plastic pollution is wreaking havoc on ecosystems, contaminating waterways, endangering biodiversity, harming public health, and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. "The urgency is real, the evidence is clear, and the responsibility is on us," he stated.
Previous efforts to advance the treaty stalled last December in Busan, South Korea, when opposition from oil-producing nations blocked consensus. Despite that setback, negotiators remain cautiously optimistic that an agreement is still attainable.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen noted that extensive diplomacy has taken place since the failed talks in Busan. "There's been extensive diplomacy from Busan till now," she told reporters, expressing hope that Geneva will mark a turning point.
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