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Talks at the United Nations aimed at securing a landmark treaty to combat plastic pollution are falling short of expectations, the negotiations chair has warned in a candid midway update.
The meeting, which began on Tuesday, has four days remaining to reach consensus on a legally binding agreement designed to tackle the escalating environmental crisis caused by plastic waste. However, Ecuador’s Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chair of the talks, told delegates on Saturday that the pace of progress was inadequate.
“Progress made has not been sufficient,” Valdivieso said, urging the 184 participating country delegations to intensify efforts before Thursday’s deadline. “August 14 is not just a deadline for our work: it is a date by which we must deliver.”
The current draft text has expanded from 22 to 35 pages, with the number of unresolved sections — indicated by brackets — soaring from 371 to nearly 1,500. The document does not identify which countries have proposed changes, meaning some could be supported by many nations or only one.
Valdivieso noted that several articles remain deadlocked, with little sign of a shared understanding. “We have had two and a half years of opportunities for delegations to make proposals. There is no more time for such interventions,” he said.
Delegations have reconvened in Geneva in a bid to bridge differences after December’s talks in Busan, South Korea — intended as the final round — ended without agreement.
