Global Plastic Treaty

Global Plastic Treaty Nears Completion: UN Negotiators Aim to Finalize Landmark Agreement in Geneva This August

As the world grapples with a growing plastic pollution crisis, global leaders are quietly pushing forward a groundbreaking treaty that could, for the first time, regulate plastics throughout their entire life cycle.

While the Third UN Ocean Conference takes center stage in the coastal city of Nice, France, high-level discussions behind the scenes are gaining momentum. Delegates are determined to finalize a legally binding global plastic treaty by August 2025—a crucial step in tackling one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time.

“There is renewed commitment to conclude the treaty in August,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution, in an interview with UN News. “This issue is far too urgent to be delayed.”

A Quiet But Pivotal Diplomatic Breakthrough

Chaired by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the informal gathering in Nice marked a key diplomatic moment. After over two years of negotiations, political will is finally aligning with growing scientific warnings about the dangers of plastic waste.

The final round of treaty negotiations is scheduled from August 5 to 14, 2025, in Geneva. Delegates face mounting pressure to deliver a strong treaty that addresses plastic pollution from production to disposal.

Plastic Pollution: A Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight

Plastic waste has now permeated every corner of the Earth—including inside human bodies—mostly in the form of microplastics. According to United Nations projections, if no action is taken, 37 million metric tons of plastic could enter the oceans annually by 2040.

“We are choking on plastic,” said Mathur-Filipp. “Without urgent intervention, no ecosystem—land or sea—will be spared.”

The economic cost is equally alarming. Between 2016 and 2040, plastic pollution could result in $281 trillion in environmental and economic damages, including impacts on tourism, fisheries, coastal infrastructure, and biodiversity.

The Final Push in Geneva: Can the UN Seal the Deal?

The plastic treaty negotiations began in 2022 following a mandate from the UN Environment Assembly, the highest decision-making body for environmental issues. The INC has since met five times in under two years—a pace rarely seen in international diplomacy.

“From December 2022 to December 2024, we’ve held five negotiation sessions,” said Mathur-Filipp. “Now we’re aiming to conclude this treaty in Geneva this August.”

A major milestone occurred during the last meeting in Busan, South Korea, where delegates produced a 22-page draft known as the “Chair’s Text.” This document outlines the treaty’s key components and includes around 33 proposed articles.

“Countries are now negotiating by article number, which is a promising sign,” Mathur-Filipp added.

Treaty Highlights: Comprehensive, Flexible, and Enforceable

The draft treaty aims to regulate plastics across their entire life cycle, incorporating both mandatory and voluntary measures. It also establishes the institutional architecture typical of global agreements: ratification procedures, governance mechanisms, and compliance structures.

“It has a preamble, objectives, and clear implementation pathways—it looks like a real treaty,” said Mathur-Filipp.

If successfully finalized, the treaty will be presented at a diplomatic conference later in 2025 or early 2026, where it can be formally adopted and ratified by UN member states.

Unequal Burdens: Small Nations on the Frontlines

Though plastic pollution is a global issue, its impacts are not equally shared. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face a disproportionate burden, despite contributing relatively little to the problem.

“These nations are not the major plastic users, yet they’re stuck with the cost of beach clean-ups and coastal degradation,” Mathur-Filipp noted. “It’s an unfair burden.”

UN data estimates that up to 20% of global plastic waste ends up in the ocean, causing extensive harm to marine ecosystems and coastal economies.

A Diplomat with a Mission

Before leading the INC, Mathur-Filipp played a key role in developing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the 2022 agreement to protect 30% of Earth’s land and oceans by 2030. She’s no stranger to high-stakes international negotiations.

“Apparently I wasn’t exhausted enough from that—so now I’m doing this,” she said with a smile.

As Geneva prepares to host what could be a decisive moment in the fight against plastic pollution, the world watches closely. The outcome could shape the future of environmental governance—and determine whether humanity takes real action to end the plastic crisis.