GAIA Calls for Greater Accountability, Inclusiveness, Transparency in Plastics Treaty Process

Today, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), a network with more than 1,000 members in all United Nations regions, delivered an open letter to the International Negotiating Committee (INC) Bureau– the governing body of the plastics treaty negotiations– calling for greater accountability for the Chair, Luis Vayas Valvidieso of Ecuador.

Ana Rocha, Director of Global Plastics Policy at GAIA, states: “Civil society has been locked out of the negotiations multiple times, from intersessional work to key meetings during INC-5, going against mandated procedures even when countries stated support for stakeholder participation. The very people who are being excluded are the ones whose voices are most needed – Indigenous Peoples, independent scientists, frontline communities, and representatives of the countries most impacted by plastic pollution. The Chair must build a transparent negotiations structure that ensures mandated civil society participation, and creates the conditions for an ambitious treaty to make it to the finish line.”

GAIA’s letter joins the demands from other major civil society organizations, including IPEN (International Pollutants Elimination Network), the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, the Indigenous Peoples and Their Communities Major Group, the Red del Abya Yala por la Reducción de la Producción de Plásticos con Metas Globales Vinculantes, the Women’s Major Group, the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance (APPA), and the International Alliance of Waste Pickers.

Despite the constant move to shut civil society out of the talks, GAIA and other groups were able to make a significant impact at the last round of negotiations in Busan, South Korea (INC-5). Thanks to civil society pressure, the majority of countries* announced support for ambitious measures like plastic reduction targets, elimination of chemicals of concern, a just transition, and an equitable financial mechanism, and fought back against a small group of petroleum-producing nations seeking to stall and weaken the treaty outcomes.

The announcement of the date and location of the extended round of negotiations– INC-5.2– is still expected.

Note to Editor:

All letters from civil society can be found in the United Nations Environment Programme website here, under the heading, “Feedback.”

For in-depth analysis of the outcomes of INC-5 and the political climate leading into INC-5.2, please read GAIA’s latest paper.

*List of Ambitious Countries:

• 103 countries signed in support of a Declaration on Primary Plastic Polymers.
• 85 countries signed a “Standing Up for Ambition” statement emphasizing their shared commitment to a legally binding treaty enshrining reduction targets, phase-out of harmful chemicals, a just transition, and an equitable financial mechanism.
• 94 countries signed a Declaration on Plastic Products and Chemicals of Concern
• 100 countries signed a text proposal to adopt a plastic production reduction target