Global negotiations for a treaty to curb plastic pollution stalled as nations clashed over capping production and waste management, postponing key decisions to a future meeting.
BUSAN, South Korea (Reuters) -Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution failed to reach agreement on Monday, with more than 100 nations wanting to cap production while a handful of oil-producers were prepared only to target plastic waste.
The fifth U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting intended to yield a legally binding global treaty in Busan, South Korea, was meant to be the final one.
However, countries remained far apart on the basic scope of a treaty and could agree only to postpone key decisions and resume talks, dubbed INC 5.2, to a later date.
"It is clear that there is still persisting divergence," said Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme.
The most divisive issues included capping plastic production, managing plastic products and chemicals of concern, and financing to help developing countries implement the treaty.
An option proposed by Panama, backed by more than 100 countries, would have created a path for a global plastic production reduction target, while another proposal did not include production caps.
The fault lines were apparent in a revised document released on Sunday by the meeting's chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso, which may form the basis of a treaty, but remained riddled with options on the most sensitive issues.
"A treaty that ... only relies on voluntary measures would not be acceptable," said Juliet Kabera, director general of Rwanda's Environment Management Authority.
"It is time we take it seriously and negotiate a treaty that is fit for purpose and not built to fail."
A small number of petrochemical-producing nations, such as Saudi Arabia, have strongly opposed efforts to reduce plastic production and have tried to use procedural tactics to delay negotiations.
"There was never any consensus," said Saudi Arabian delegate Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz. "There are a couple of articles that somehow seem to make it (into the document) despite our continued insistence that they are not within the scope."
China, the United States, India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia were the top five primary polymer-producing nations in 2023, according to data provider Eunomia.
ENTRENCHED DIVISIONS
Had such divisions been overcome, the treaty would have been one of the most significant deals relating to environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The postponement comes just days after the turbulent conclusion of the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.
At Baku, countries set a new global target for mobilizing $300 billion annually in climate finance, a deal deemed woefully insufficient by small island states and many developing countries.
The climate talks were also slowed by procedural manoeuvres by Saudi Arabia – who objected to the inclusion of language that reaffirmed a previous commitment to transition away from fossil fuels.
Some negotiators said a few countries held the proceedings hostage, avoiding compromises needed by using the U.N.'s consensus process.
Senegal's National Delegate Cheikh Ndiaye Sylla called it "a big mistake" to exclude voting during the entire negotiations, an agreement made last year during the second round of talks in Paris.
"This outcome underscores the complexity of addressing plastic pollution on a global scale and the need for further deliberations to achieve an effective, inclusive and workable treaty," said Chris Jahn, council secretary of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), representing plastic makers.
"There is little assurance that the next INC will succeed where INC-5 did not," environmental group GAIA said.
Plastic production is on track to triple by 2050, and microplastics have been found in the air, fresh produce and even human breast milk.
Chemicals found to be of concern in plastics include more than 3,200 according to a 2023 U.N. Environment Programme report, which said women and children were particularly susceptible to their toxicity.
Despite the postponement, several negotiators expressed urgency to get back into talks.
"Every day of delay is a day against humanity. Postponing negotiations does not postpone the crisis," said Panama's delegation head Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez on Sunday.
"When we reconvene, the stakes will be higher."
The United Nations is ordering over 60 offices and agencies to submit plans to cut 20% of their staff by mid-June as part of a wide reform effort to address a serious budget gap.
Palestinians gained the right to fly their flag at the World Health Organization following a vote at the annual assembly in Geneva, supported by 95 member states.
At a global conference in Baku, UN Under-Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Moratinos called out the institutional bias and social restrictions faced by Muslims, urging collective action against rising Islamophobia.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged maximum restraint following India’s missile strikes on Pakistani territory, warning that a military confrontation between the two countries would carry global consequences.
An IAEA team arrived in Iran for technical talks after Rafael Grossi’s visit, amid renewed Iran-U.S. nuclear negotiations and concerns over Tehran’s uranium enrichment nearing weapons-grade levels.
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A massive glacial landslide in southern Switzerland has buried the village of Blatten, formed a dangerous lake by blocking the River Lonza, and raised fears of flooding downstream as emergency crews monitor the situation.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar will provide joint financial support for Syrian state employees, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced during a visit to Damascus, as regional efforts to support Syria’s reconstruction gain momentum.
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Magnus Carlsen suffered a shock defeat to China’s Wei Yi at Norway Chess 2025, just two days after beating world champion D Gukesh.
The European Commission voiced strong regret over the United States’ decision to raise tariffs on imported steel to 50%, warning the move adds uncertainty to the global economy.
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