STORY: :: Countries fail to get along
for preventing plastic pollution around the world
:: Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Meeting chair
“We have succeeded in many things. However, there are serious things that still need to be agreed.”
:: Inger Andersen, executive director, UN Environment Programme
“However there is a piece of correction to what these articles might be, and that constitutes the next important step…” // “It is clear that there is still resistance. That is the reality of this discussion.”
:: Busan, South Korea
The fifth meeting of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) aimed at bringing about a legally binding international agreement in Busan, South Korea, was supposed to be the last.
However, the countries remained separate on the initial stage of the agreement and could only agree to suspend the key decisions and restart the talks, called INC 5.2, at a later date.
The accusations were revealed in a revised document released on Sunday by the president of the conference Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who is likely to be the basis of the agreement, but remained full of decisions on the most difficult issues.
The most divisive issues include banning plastic production, regulating plastic products and chemicals of concern, and funding to help developing countries implement the agreement.
A small number of petrochemical producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have been strongly opposed to efforts to reduce plastic production and have tried to use delay negotiations.