Heads of delegation for about 32 member states met in Glion, Switzerland, to share views and ideas in preparation for the fifth and final session of Intergovernmental Negotiations Committee (INC-5) to establish a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, which will take place in Busan, Republic of Korea this November 2024.

Halatoa Fua, National Environment Service director, was invited to participate in the discussions.
The meeting was convened following the Head of Delegation meeting organised by the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, as an attempt by the Chair of the INC to gain support on his second non-paper for an alternative structure of the agreement for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution.

At the end of INC-4, a compilation text was developed by the delegates as the basis for final negotiations in the fifth session. However, the compilation text consists of over 3,700 brackets that will make it difficult to reach an agreement at INC-5.
The delegates were able to share their views in Glion, on missing elements in the Chair’s second non-paper iteration.

There was particular focus on key articles related to sustainable production and supply of plastic products, chemicals of concern, problematic and avoidable plastic products, and the financing mechanism under means of implementation.

The delegates also discussed what elements need to be negotiated for the final text of the agreement by INC-5, and what elements can be further developed between the diplomatic conference and the first conference of the parties. 
Fua said: “The group in Glion represented all regions of the world, some from countries with high ambition and some with low ambition, some wanting global rules and some wanting nationally driven rules. The diversity of participants was very useful to draw on what can be landing zones for delegates to agree at INC-5 in Busan. More studies are released on the impacts of hazardous chemicals in plastic products on human health”.

Meanwhile, Fua also represented the country at a technical working session by the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) to End Plastic Pollution in Stockholm, Sweden earlier this month.

The session is to prepare the 67-country member coalition for the fifth and final session of negotiations for the legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, which will also be held in Busan.

Fua said that the HAC working sessions are useful to build relationships with other countries with high ambition for the plastics treaty, to ensure the needs of the Cook Islands and small islands developing states are represented at the international stage. “Plastic pollution has a detrimental effect on the marine environment, which impacts the Cook Islands and Pacific Islands severely. It is important that the special needs and circumstances of small islands developing states are reflected in the treaty text final agreement.”