As the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution entered its final day on Sunday in Busan, South Korea, attendees called for a swift resolution to finalize an international treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution and safeguarding the planet.
At a press conference held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), government representatives and environmental advocates stressed the critical importance of reaching an agreement.
Juan Carlos Monterrey, Special Representative for Climate Change and National Climate Change Director of the Ministry of Environment of Panama, issued dire warning during the climate talks.
"We are not just negotiating a treaty. We are deciding whether we care enough to save ourselves. If we don't get an ambitious treaty out of Busan, it will be a global betrayal. If we don't get an ambitious treaty out of Busan, history will not forgive us. This is the time to step up or get out," he said.
In March 2022, the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly adopted a historic resolution to develop a legally binding international instrument to combat plastic pollution, including pollution in the marine environment. This resolution authorized the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to convene the INC with the goal of finalizing the treaty by the end of 2024.
The fifth INC session in Busan, which began on November 25, is the final meeting under the original mandate. It has brought together over 1,400 representatives from 178 UN member states and 2,300 participants from intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, and media outlets.
Plastic pollution represents one of the most pressing environmental issues nowadays. Since the 1950s, over 10 billion tons of plastic have been produced globally, with an estimated 8 billion tons discarded as waste, according to the UNEP.
Currently, more than 400 million tons of new plastic are produced each year, yet less than 10 percent is recycled. The vast majority of plastic is thrown away after use, with millions of tons ending up in the ocean every year.
UN conference in South Korea urges finalizing treaty against plastic pollution
The international community on Thursday continued to lash out at Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir for releasing a video which mocks the participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
On Thursday local time, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that all foreign activists who had recently participated in the flotilla had been expelled from the country, and that Israel would not tolerate any violations of the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Hundreds of members from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were brought to Israel's Ashdod Port on Wednesday, as Ben-Gvir released the video showing some of them shackled and forced to the ground.
In the video, released by Ben-Gvir on his social media channels, dozens of activists are shown kneeling on the floor, bent forward with their heads down and hands bound behind their backs with zip ties, as the Israeli national anthem is played loudly over speakers.
Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli naval vessels intercepted all ships in the convoy in international waters, about 250 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. According to the organizers, 428 activists were "kidnapped" by Israel after the interception began on Monday morning.
On Thursday, the British government issued a statement saying that the Britain had summoned the charge d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy that day to express strong denunciation of the video released by Ben-Gvir on Wednesday.
Britain accused the relevant actions of violating the most basic principles of respect for human dignity and demanded that the Israeli government provide an explanation regarding the detention.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani on Thursday said on social media that he had requested the European Union (EU) to impose sanctions on Ben-Gvir.
Tajani said that the Israeli side detained activists in international waters and subjected them to harassment and humiliation, describing such actions as "unacceptable" and "a violation of the most basic human rights."
On the same day, the Polish foreign affairs ministry issued a statement saying that Poland had summoned the charge d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Poland, demanding that Israel launch an investigation into the detention and issue an official apology to the detained activists.
Earlier that day, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski decided to seek a ban on Ben-Gvir's entry into Poland.
On Thursday, Polish Minister of Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwinski also said that he had ordered the initiation of formal procedures to designate Ben-Gvir as a persona non grata.
Additionally, on Thursday, Danilo Della Valle, a member of the European Parliament, said that he had written to European Council President Antonio Costa, calling on the EU to impose sanctions on Ben-Gvir. The letter was co-signed by nearly 30 members of the European Parliament.
Int'l community continues to slam Israel for maltreating Gaza aid flotilla members
