International treaty on plastic pollution update
Talks to develop an international treaty on plastic pollution did not reach a consensus as negotiations came to an end on 15 August 2025.
Aotearoa New Zealand participated in the fifth round of negotiations, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 4 to 15 August. Our delegates advocated for a treaty grounded in waste hierarchy principles, including avoiding the generation of plastic waste in the first place.
In March 2022, 193 nations UN member states endorsed a historic decision to negotiate the treaty. This led to the establishment of an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to guide the process.
While the aim was to agree to a treaty by the end of this round of negotiations, a treaty was not adopted. Member states expressed their desire to continue the process, and so the Committee agreed to resume negotiations at a future date to be announced.
Read more: Second Part of the Fifth Session (UNEP - UN Environment Programme)