Representatives from over 160 countries are starting meetings in Geneva today to find a way to protect human health and the environment from rising plastic pollution, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The forum is a last-ditch attempt to draft a legally binding international agreement to tackle plastic waste. It is hoped the treaty will be finalized and adopted next year.
Experts warn that plastic pollution knows no borders, affecting the oceans, air, soil and increasingly entering the food chain and the human body.
The main goal of the UN meetings is to reach a consensus on regulating the production, design and management of plastic waste. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, in 2024 About 500 million tons of plastic have been produced worldwide, of which nearly 400 million tons have become waste.
It is estimated that unless decisive measures are taken, the amount of plastic waste could triple by 2060.
Despite the efforts, the global agreement is not expected to be as strict as the regulations in the European Union, which currently has some of the strictest rules in the world on the production, use and disposal of plastics.
The talks build on the framework adopted during the UN Environment Assembly in March 2022, when it was decided to launch a process to create a global agreement to combat plastic pollution.
The previous round of negotiations, held in South Korea in late 2024, did not lead to a breakthrough. Now hopes are focused on Geneva, where the meetings will continue until August 14.