Draft International Treaty on Plastic Pollution and its Implications for Multilateral Trade

Abstract

The article examines the key negotiation areas for developing a legally binding international multilateral treaty aiming to combat plastic pollution, including marine plastic pollution. This critical work is being carried out under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme. The draft document prepared following five negotiating sessions shows that the original goal – designing coordinated international instruments for plastic waste management – has fallen by the wayside. The negotiations have in fact shifted focus to the value chain of finished plastic products as a whole, bypassing the current mandate. This approach, among other things, poses serious risks for international trade in such goods.