The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, began today in Ottawa, Canada. The session aims to advance negotiations so that the Committee can finalize the text of the instrument at its fifth session (INC-5) in November.
Members will also decide on intersessional work—informal INC sessions between official meetings—required between INC-4 and INC-5 to support further text development.
INC-4 is the second-to-last stage of the negotiations, following three earlier rounds: INC-1 in Punta del Este (November 2022), INC-2 in Paris (June 2023), and INC-3 in Nairobi (November 2023).
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, noted progress in eliminating problematic and avoidable plastic uses, while acknowledging the need for plastic in specific applications like renewable energy technologies. She emphasized the urgency of finalizing the instrument, as plastic pollution continues to impact ecosystems.
INC-5, scheduled for 25 November to 2 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea, is intended to conclude the INC process. A Diplomatic Conference will follow, where Heads of State will sign the agreement.
Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Chair of the INC, highlighted the importance of multilateral cooperation in ending plastic pollution and called for negotiations grounded in scientific evidence and facts.
The start of INC-4 was preceded by regional consultations and a conversation with Observers. Canada hosted a Partnerships Day and a Ministerial Day on the sidelines of the session.
Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, emphasized the significance of a global agreement on plastic pollution and welcomed delegations, partners, and stakeholders to Ottawa for INC-4.
At the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in February 2024, Canada convened a Ministerial meeting with other host countries of the INC process—France, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, and Uruguay—to galvanize momentum toward the global instrument.
Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC, urged delegates to make the most of the seven-day session and deliver a text close to the final agreement. She stressed the need for flexibility to reach consensus.
Susan Shrestha
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