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The journey from INC-5.1 to 5.2

While INC-5.1 in Busan, Republic of Korea, did not lead to the adoption of a final treaty text, there were strong signs of progress. Governments showed increasing alignment and agreed to maintain momentum by resuming negotiations at INC-5.2, which will take place in Geneva from 5 to 14 August 2025. 

Despite an increasingly complex multilateral environment, we are encouraged by the growing majority of countries that have clearly articulated support for a set of strong core obligations to tackle pollution across the full plastics lifecycle, complemented by effective mechanisms for implementation support. 

We welcome the ongoing efforts of key countries around the world to engage constructively at both political and technical levels to help build the foundations for an ambitious and effective Global Plastics Treaty. 

To support these informal discussions, we have updated our ‘Treaty On a Page’, taking into account the Chair’s text of 1 December 2024. This document has been designed as a roadmap to guide negotiators on the potential outcome for an agreement at INC-5.2. In it we highlight the critical elements for governments to align on as an ambitious starting point and combine these with a process for further strengthening the treaty through future decisions at Conference of the Parties (COP).

We, 280+ businesses from across the plastics value chain, financial institutions and NGOs, stand ready to share further insights and recommendations to inform the INC discussions on the following:  

  • The foundational pillars of an ambitious and effective global plastics treaty
  • The need for further strengthening key articles in the draft treaty text
  • The mandates for future decisions of the Conference of the Parties (COP)
  • The mechanisms to enable implementation by countries and businesses

While INC-5.1 in Busan, Republic of Korea, did not lead to the adoption of a final treaty text, there were strong signs of progress. Governments showed increasing alignment and agreed to maintain momentum by resuming negotiations at INC-5.2, which will take place in Geneva from 5 to 14 August 2025. 

Despite an increasingly complex multilateral environment, we are encouraged by the growing majority of countries that have clearly articulated support for a set of strong core obligations to tackle pollution across the full plastics lifecycle, complemented by effective mechanisms for implementation support. 

We welcome the ongoing efforts of key countries around the world to engage constructively at both political and technical levels to help build the foundations for an ambitious and effective Global Plastics Treaty. 

To support these informal discussions, we have updated our ‘Treaty On a Page’, taking into account the Chair’s text of 1 December 2024. This document has been designed as a roadmap to guide negotiators on the potential outcome for an agreement at INC-5.2. In it we highlight the critical elements for governments to align on as an ambitious starting point and combine these with a process for further strengthening the treaty through future decisions at Conference of the Parties (COP).

We, 280+ businesses from across the plastics value chain, financial institutions and NGOs, stand ready to share further insights and recommendations to inform the INC discussions on the following:  

  • The foundational pillars of an ambitious and effective global plastics treaty
  • The need for further strengthening key articles in the draft treaty text
  • The mandates for future decisions of the Conference of the Parties (COP)
  • The mechanisms to enable implementation by countries and businesses