25 April 2024, Ottawa, Canada - The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), is taking place from 23 to 29 April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.
This week, the Pacific Small Islands Developing States are negotiating for an ambitious legally binding instrument that will address the full life cycle of plastics from the chemical make-up and production through to distribution, as well as the legacy plastic pollution that is now wreaking havoc upon our Pacific Islands.
Plastic pollution is one of the triple planetary crises declared with climate change and biodiversity loss. Since the 1950’s there has been 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic produced of which 7 billion tonnes has become waste now filling up landfills and polluting our ocean. Unless we act now there will be more plastic than fish in our ocean by the year 2050.
We spent time with Mr Haden Talagi, the Head of Delegation for Niue, as day two wrapped up of the negotiations.
Q. Being here at the Plastic Treaty negotiations, what is a key issue for Niue?
A. “Our biggest issue is around the financial flow or mobilisation of resources from the international to local communities. We also need to ensure that there is on-the-ground implementation for those responsible for waste management through robust action plans. Plastic pollution and legacy plastics is one of many waste streams that requires support. There must be actions undertaken by all stakeholders and we know that that this is a shared responsibility, not just for us in Niue, but also all of us regionally and at the international level. Our global community has a huge role to play together, to address this problem and we’re grateful that we’re all here to do something about it. We now need to see that commitment to a safer planet through the INC process for an ambitious legally binding instrument.”
Q. I guess it goes without saying that having a plastics treaty is crucial for Niue.
A. “Yes, it is important for Niue because it lays the foundation upon which we have direction and tangible solutions to eliminate plastic pollution but through a collective effort. We have a legacy plastic problem as well as the growth of this problem with all the new plastic that enters Niue – its everywhere, on our land and also ending up in our ocean. What are we going to do with it all? This treaty will help us have greater impact on the ground but it also doesn’t stop us from being proactive to implement actions and solutions immediately with current resources and support. This instrument at the multilateral level will hopefully funnel to us at the regional level in terms of coordination and ultimately supporting our action on the ground at the national level. This is extremely important for all stakeholders, having an impact on the ground in communities.”
Q. At the end of Day 2 – how do you feel its going in the Contact Group that you are following?
The INC4 has divided into two Contact Groups to discuss different aspects of the proposed text, which are then broken further into sub-groups for negotiation.
“In terms of how its tracking so far, I remain optimistic. In this Contact Group I am in which looked at Financial Mechanisms and National Action Plans; groups and countries are still finding their way through different positions and text but in my opinion, it’s been positive but complex. I am grateful to the Alliance of Small Islands States and Pacific Small Islands Developing States leads including SPREP, partner agencies and technical advisers for guiding the Pacific delegates. I am hopeful that reality has kicked in and delegates know that we have a huge responsibility on our shoulders to complete here. While we are seeing positive steps forward you never know what can happen in the next hour, hours or even days. I remain optimistic. I am also hopeful that this is being translated in the other Contact Group as well. Niue needs this, the world needs this instrument.”
The fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment is taking place in Ottawa, Canada, from 23-29 April 2024.
The Pacific Islands are represented by the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu through the support of the Government of Australia and the United Nations. They are supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), working with partners the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), The Pacific Community (SPC), Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), University of Wollongong, WWF and Massey University.
For more information visit: https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution/session-4