Mazungumzo ya mkataba wa uchafuzi wa plastiki yaanza

Between 27 and 30 September 2026, Heads of Delegations (HODs) have come together for an informal in-person meeting in Thailand – the second since June – to consolidate areas of convergence and identify bridging solutions based on the Msaada kwa Mazungumzo document prepared by the Chair. The document represents an informal reference that aims to reflect issues that have been considered and discussed by governments at past INC sessions. The meeting in Bangkok is expected to generate a second iteration of the Aid – the likely text that will be discussed during INC-5.4 in March 2027.

Kuongozwa na flexibility and pragmatism, the INC strives to build common ground amongst delegations, as central issues to the treaty remain unresolved. Most notably, the scope of the treaty itself is highly contested, with consensus still to be built around the inclusion of plastic production in the treaty. Other areas of contention, including the restriction of chemicals of concern and the creation of financial mechanisms for international cooperation, are going to be key to reach an agreed-upon text.

Evidence for common ground

The International Science Council has renewed its commitment to delivering science advice to the Members of the Committee and relevant stakeholders. The ISC Expert Group on Plastic Pollution, established in 2024 to support the development of a science-based comprehensive instrument, has indeed submitted maoni yaliyoandikwa yaliyounganishwa in advance of the meeting in Bangkok. In line with kauli, muhtasari wa sera na taarifa put forward since the start of the process in Punta del Este (INC-1), the Expert Group has shared inputs on what it considers to be some of the most pressing technical issues left unaddressed by the current text:       

• The scope of the treaty should consider how growing volumes of plastic production are disproportionately generating growing levels of plastic pollution. Research demonstrates that a full life cycle approach to plastic regulation, including upstream measures, is the most cost-effective, proactively tackling both causes and impacts.
• Evidence on the effects of plastic pollution, across its life cycle, on human and environmental health is to be integrated in the design of the treaty. The treaty should be underpinned by human rights, notably the right to health, the right to a healthy environment and the rights of children and Indigenous communities worldwide.
• Monitoring mechanisms must be designed to inform and complement periodic evaluations, providing essential data to assess progress and the treaty’s effectiveness. This requires the establishment of standardized global procedures and protocols, open-access data systems and a global digital hub under an international body to integrate life-cycle data.

Establishing a science-policy-society interface

Most importantly, however, the Expert Group has reiterated the need to create a robust science-policy-society interface (SPI) mechanism and to establish a formalized scientific platform under the INC Secretariat. Precondition to safeguard the integration of scientific and technical input into the treaty’s decision-making and implementation, the SPI responds both to immediate needs of designing an effective treaty and to implementation needs of continuous monitoring, reporting and evaluation. Underpinning an integrated SPI is knowledge-brokering, meaning the socialization of concepts and scientific evidence through networks, communities of practice and ecosystems. An integrated SPI ultimately responds to the need for usable knowledge.

Among the varying existing structures, functions and degrees of institutionalization of SPIs, the ISC advocates for kanuni sita that could ensure the effectiveness of a scientific body and the uptake of advice provided by a wide range of stakeholders. These principles include independence, demand-driven and outcome-focused approach, interdisciplinarity, openness, collaboration with other existing initiatives, learning and reflexivity. In the framework of a multi-actor knowledge governance system, an interface between science, policy and society that reflects these principles allows to connect knowledge generation with decision-making and to ensure that the treaty implementation remains legitimate and effective over time.

Dirisha la fursa

Ahead of this decisive phase of negotiations and the intersessional period before COP1, the ISC seeks to further strengthen the scientific base available. For this reason, the ISC has launched a call for contributions, aiming at mobilizing relevant expertise and knowledge across disciplines, regions and sectors on plastic pollution. Its goal is both to gather up-to-date, relevant scientific evidence to create a knowledge hub and a community of practice that would support the Expert Group, and also to collaborate with key experts to engage with country delegations for targeted policy advice. In the framework of the call, a webinar with the INC Secretariat will also be organized in October. The deadline for the call is 23 October 2026.

Picha na Muhammad Yasir on Unsplash

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