Barbados and Morocco delivered opening remarks on behalf of the co-coordinators. They highlighted the profitable midterm assessment in April of the DPP’s work in 2025 and underscored the significance of delving deeper into every focus space to advance potential outcomes. They famous co-sponsors’ curiosity in the continued international efforts to scale back plastics air pollution, notably the negotiations led by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee underneath the United Nations, which is scheduled to carry its subsequent spherical of talks in August 2025 in Geneva.
The co-coordinators reported on the productive discussions held throughout a workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean on 16 Might, highlighting the DPP initiative’s continued efforts to include regional views and to listen to from smaller delegations. The primary region-focused workshop, held alongside the April DPP assembly, had centred on Africa.
They famous that regional specialists underscored the significance of boosting commerce and strengthening institutional regulatory capacities to handle plastics air pollution. The workshop emphasised sturdy help for small companies, calling for technical help and monetary incentives to assist them take part in a extra sustainable economic system.
Contributors additionally highlighted the necessity to promote regionally sourced, sustainable substitutes — reminiscent of banana peel, bamboo and sugarcane byproducts — alongside inexperienced finance mechanisms, whereas contemplating shopper consciousness of non-plastic substitutes and cultural preferences for sure different supplies. The dialogue additional careworn the worth of enhanced regional cooperation and a unified regulatory strategy to single-use plastics, with platforms reminiscent of Mercosur (Southern Frequent Market) and ALADI (Latin American Integration Affiliation) recognized as key avenues for regulatory cooperation and aligning requirements.
Switzerland and China facilitated thematic discussions on the 2 focus areas. On the primary matter — enhancing cooperation on relevant requirements for non-plastic substitutes and alternate options — members heard from a various vary of establishments and corporations. The Codex Alimentarius Committee underneath the UN Meals and Agriculture Group introduced its work on meals packaging requirements for traded items, with a give attention to meals security.
Representatives from firms and associations in Peru, the Philippines and the Netherlands shared their experiences and challenges in navigating home and worldwide rules whereas utilizing nature-compatible and biodegradable supplies to switch single-use plastics. The US additionally offered a debrief on current discussions within the WTO Committee on Technical Boundaries to Commerce, which explored home practices and the potential unfavourable impacts of modifications to meals packaging rules. The significance of cross-committee collaboration between the DPP and different WTO our bodies was underscored.
Contributors expressed a shared dedication to addressing plastics air pollution by means of the DPP, whereas cautioning in opposition to duplicating the work of current WTO committees and worldwide standard-setting organizations. A number of emphasised the significance of the DPP specializing in its distinctive contributions — reminiscent of facilitating data alternate, sharing home experiences, and analyzing the business, environmental and security dimensions of non-plastic alternate options. Many additionally underscored the necessity for worldwide cooperation, the harmonization of requirements and certification schemes, and equitable entry to sustainable options, notably for growing economies.
On the second matter — enhancing transparency of commerce flows of plastics — members acquired an replace from the United Nations Institute for Coaching and Analysis (UNITAR), which introduced its work on growing statistical tips for measuring plastic flows all through the life cycle. The European Union’s Joint Analysis Centre additionally gave a presentation on the bloc’s evolving coverage panorama and its strengthened measures to trace materials flows of plastics throughout its worth chain.
Contributors welcomed the rules as helpful instruments for monitoring the commerce movement of products with embedded plastics, in addition to single-use plastic gadgets. They inspired broader information sharing to incorporate tips developed by different organizations and known as for larger help to growing and least-developed members in constructing capability for information assortment.
In conclusion, Australia thanked members and stakeholders for his or her inputs, emphasizing that transparency is a essential step towards efficient coverage design. It famous that the discussions underscored the potential of non-plastic substitutes and different supplies, whereas additionally acknowledging the remaining challenges.
Co-coordinators will present updates on the subsequent steps following additional consultations.
Extra
DPP co-sponsors have recognized eight areas for reaching attainable outcomes at MC14. The remaining six areas embrace: supporting ongoing multilateral negotiations underneath the United Nations to scale back plastics air pollution; exploring methods to harmonize trade-related measures for single-use plastics; figuring out finest practices; enhancing entry to related applied sciences and companies; constructing capability for growing members; and contemplating the potential improvement of home inventories of trade-related plastic measures.
Launched in November 2020 by a gaggle of WTO members, the Dialogue on Plastics Air pollution presently consists of 83 co-sponsors, representing nearly 90 per cent of worldwide commerce in plastics.
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