Updates from the Floor

November 27, 2024 – Contact Group 1 continued this morning with several Member States and groups of Member States presenting proposals for text for Article 3 – Plastic Products and Chemicals of Concern as Used in Plastic Products. As anticipated, there was broad support and broad opposition. Some countries – all 22 Arab states – prefer to use the non-paper text as a basis for negotiation. The non-paper text does not actually include text on this provision. Some Member States called into question the validity of the science utilized to develop various proposed texts containing references to chemicals.

We’re pleased to see that 2 proposals included tobacco products – 1 proposal containing cigarette filters made from plastic and another containing single-use vapes were presented in the Annex lists of Products to be banned. Here are the proposals from the USA and UK, Norway, Moldova and now Peru collectively.

The formal proposals to include cigarette filters puts us in a good position, but, as they say, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

A plenary was held in the early evening to take stock of the progress of the contact groups.  It’s clear that after three days and nights progress is insufficient for meeting the deadline of sending text to the legal drafting group by Friday of this week. Several parties made arrangements to spend Saturday and Sunday in plenary for final negotiation. There was significant frustration with the lack of progress and delay tactics. Panama delivered a passionate intervention – reminding us that plastic production must be part of these negotiations, and that plastic pollution is an assault on our future. It’s worth watching on UN Web TV and above.  Thank you, Panama, for your leadership.