Nairobi, Kenya – Eighty one countries, including the Maldives, have committed to the development of an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.
The resolution was proposed by Rwanda, Peru, Japan and India, the resolution to end plastic pollution was passed in during the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA5) held in Nairobi, Kenya on 2nd March, 2022.
The resolution titled “End plastic pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument” establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee(INC) that begins its work in 2022 with the aim of finalising a global legally binding agreement by 2024.
The the endorsement of this legally binding treaty, UN member states will be mandated to address the full lifecycle of plastics, the design of reusable and recyclable products and materials even as they foster technology transfer and knowledge sharing to boost adoption of eco-friendly alternatives.
During this session, Maldives shared with the global community, its initiative in phasing out single use plastic being carried out on a national scale.
Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology of Maldives Aminath Shauna tweeted about the cause and stated that “The resolution is important to curb the marine plastics that currently threatens our ocean further strengthens our ambitious policy on phasing out single use plastics by 2023.”
Including the resolution on plastic pollution, a total of 17 resolutions were proposed in the UNEA5.
