Nearly 200 nations are in Busan, South Korea, for negotiations that are supposed to result in a historic deal after two years of discussions. However, everything seems to indicate that the event will not end with a unanimous agreement to stop plastic pollution. At least, for now. This was revealed by Luis Vayas Valdivieso, ambassador of Ecuador and president of the talks, who has asked to reschedule the meeting and continue the discussions at another time: “These unresolved issues remain a challenge and more time will be needed to address them effectively. “, said.
A week of talks has failed to resolve deep divisions between “high ambition” countries seeking a globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals, and “like-minded” nations that also , are the main oil exporters, who want to focus on waste.
Already in the draft text published on Sunday afternoon many of the most contentious points included a wide range of options, signaling the current level of disagreement. When an open plenary session was finally convened on Sunday night, Vayas Valdivieso said progress had been made. But he also recognized “some critical problems that still prevent us from reaching a comprehensive agreement.”
Vayas Valdivieso stated that, overall, “there is an agreement to resume the current session at a later date to conclude our negotiations.” His comments echo delegates’ earlier calls for a follow-up to the so-called INC5 talks given the current divisions.
“If you ask me… we stop, we adapt the document as it is and we try to have another session,” Senegalese Cheikh Sylla told AFP. That would give time “to bring positions closer, and in this session 5.2, we can reach an agreement that is balanced.”
Two clearly opposed positions
Previously, delegations seeking an ambitious treaty warned that a handful of countries were firmly blocking progress. A French minister accused the like-minded group of “continuing obstruction”, while Rwandan delegate Juliet Kabera said a “small number” of countries “remain not supportive of the measures necessary to drive real change”. “Rwanda cannot accept a treaty without teeth,” Kabera said.
Although the countries have declined to directly name those blocking a deal, public statements and filings have shown that most oil-producing nations, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, have sought to block production cuts and other goals. ambitious.
Portuguese delegate Maria Joao Teixeira said Sunday that another round of talks could be the best option for a meaningful agreement. “We are really trying not to have a weak treaty,” he told AFP.
But environmental groups had pressured ambitious countries to call a vote if progress stalled, saying another round of negotiations was unnecessary. “We know what we need to do to end plastic pollution… simply adding more meetings is not the solution,” said Eirik Lindebjerg, global plastics policy lead at WWF.
A hundred countries committed to production cuts
More than 100 countries support setting a target for production cuts, and dozens also support phasing out some unnecessary chemicals and plastics. The position of the world’s two main plastics producers, China and the United States, is unclear. Both were notably absent from the stage at a Sunday news conference by countries urging a strong treaty.
“They are still considering it and we are hopeful that there will be some interest on their part,” said the head of the Mexican delegation, Camila Zepeda. «This coalition of the willing is an open invitation. So it’s not like it’s them against us.”
For his part, Panamanian Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez told his colleagues that “history will not forgive us” for leaving Busan without an ambitious treaty. “This is the time to step up or get out.”
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