In its journey for the highest quality of wellbeing in life, the Cook Islands amplified its voice on the global stage with over 170 countries, negotiating a treaty to end plastic pollution.

A Resolution adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly on 2 March 2022 instructed five Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Sessions to take place to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution based on its full lifecycle including in the marine environment.

Having completed the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC5) to develop a treaty, known as the INC5, negotiators were close to finalising an agreement. However brackets remain on texts in key articles relating to supply, chemicals and products, and the financial mechanism.

Over 100 countries, including the Cook Islands, called for an ambitious and effective instrument that is based on the full lifecycle of plastic products, as some countries seek to defer on the scope of the instrument to limit waste management only.

While the world is still yet to agree on final text to prepare for ratification, INC5 ended with a mandate to resume negotiations with a session labelled 5.2 on text that was developed at INC5 in South Korea last year. The date of the next phase of negotiations is yet to be finalised.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to end plastic pollution; we need a strong ambitious treaty in place. All states are responsible for making this happen to protect both humankind and our environment. We need to reduce the level of plastic production and production to sustainable levels without harming the environment and human health. This requires the efforts of all member states as it cannot be done alone,” said Halatoa Fua, director of the Cook Islands National Environment Service and Head of the Cook Islands Delegation at INC5.

“As a member of our global community, the Cook Islands plays a pivotal role in implementing national legislation to phase out avoidable and problematic plastic products, enhancement of waste management systems, and clean up and reduce leakage of plastic products to the environment. We understand that we too, a plastic product importer rather than exporter, have a moral responsibility to protect all of humanity.”

Pollution is one of the triple planetary crises which also includes biodiversity loss and climate change with plastic pollution impacting our environment and human health. Given the landmass of the Cook Islands, within almost two million square kilometres of EEZ, plastic pollution as a transboundary issue is a significant one.

According to a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), it is projected the plastic production will grow from 435 million tonnes in 2020 to 736 million tonnes in 2040. Leakage of plastic waste will grow from 20 million tonnes in 2020 to 30 million tonnes in 2040.

This also leads to growth in greenhouse gas emissions from 1.8 to 2.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide.

There is concern over the impact of plastic pollution on human health as plastic has also been found in the lungs, and other organs of the human body, including in the amniotic sacs of babies.

Recognising the threat of plastic pollution, the Cook Islands Government has worked collectively across the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI), Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) and the National Environment Service (NES), to ensure the highest possible of ambition is agreed to by all at the international negotiations.

“We know the global negotiation process can be slow; however, we also know the impact of plastic pollution upon our Cook Islands people and environment. We work together for our people, bringing the strengths and skillsets of our different ministries and people, for this one vision,” said Tepaeru Herrmann, Secretary of MFAI.

“It is imperative that we achieve our Cook Islands vision of empowered, innovative and environmentally conscious people who are grounded in our culture and languages, with the highest quality of wellbeing in life. We will continue to work together to address this issue as part of the global community now, before it is too late. We need an ambitious internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution to help make this happen.”

During INC5, the Cook Islands led the 14 Pacific Small Islands Developing States on the article of supply or sustainable production, chemicals of concern, problematic and avoidable products. The Pacific remained united in calling for a global target to reduce plastic polymer production, which is a process that can be further developed through the Conference of the Parties.

Working together the representatives from across the different agencies of the Cook Islands delegation collectively contributed to the voices standing for urgent, ambitious, action in the new legally binding instrument to be agreed upon.

While playing a leading role on the global stage in helping to drive high ambition in the treaty, leadership has also been demonstrated on the national front with work to address plastic pollution.

The National Environment Service has secured USD 7 million from the Global Environment Facility for its project ‘Circular Solutions to End Plastic Pollution’.

“While there is some way to go, the Cook Islands is very active in playing its part to reduce plastic pollution alongside our Pacific Islands neighbours - setting the bar in addressing plastic pollution. Yet while we do so, we also need the rest of our international community to play their part,” said Fua.

“Given the migration of plastic in our ocean, and the role of fossil fuels in producing plastic, we need to come together through an internationally legally binding instrument now before the problem of plastic pollution becomes so much worse. We’ll continue to implement the necessary measures to stem this crisis, and we’ll continue to fight to be heard to protect our Ipukarea.”

• MFAI