Towards the global plastics agreement - stay of play
date: 09/06/2021
In relation to specific country positions in the first pre-meeting to the Ministerial Conference on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution:
- Most of the support came from the established group of like-minded countries, but also from Canada, Australia, Iran and Russia.
- Japan, supported by Malaysia, took a more cautious approach, urging to first focus on the existing instruments (Osaka Blue Ocean Vision) and the main elements of a future framework rather than discussing its form, i.e. legally binding vs voluntary.
- US, Nigeria, China, Mexico and a few others expressed no specific position. US, however, acknowledged the importance of collaborative approach to address the transboundary problem of plastic pollution.
- Indonesia did not participate, and countries such as India, Argentina and Brazil remained silent.
On content, the meeting had structured discussions along the three works streams: vision and objectives; data, monitoring and reporting; and specific measures. The second pre-meeting expected in June will cover additional elements such as financial mechanisms and complementarity with the existing instruments and initiatives.