Punta del Este, Uruguay – As delegates from countries globally head here for the first intergovernmental Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC1) this week, women leaders from IPEN’s worldwide network displayed a dramatic banner reading “Our Health is in Your Hands – Ban Toxic Chemicals in Plastics” at La Mano, an iconic sculpture of the area. The women also showed “pregnant” bellies to emphasize the health threats, including infertility and reproductive health impacts, that chemicals in plastics pose to women, children, and families.
See IPEN’s Quick Views and other resources for the Plastics Treaty INC-1 here.
“The Plastics Treaty must be understood as a global health agreement,” said María Isabel Cárcamo, coordinator of the local nonprofit RAP-AL Uruguay, an IPEN Participating Organization. “This week it will be critical for delegates to understand that toxic chemicals pose threats to our health and the environment throughout the plastics lifecycle. Especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the Treaty must protect communities from plastic dumping that threatens the human right to healthy environments.”
IPEN brings 25 years of experience in contributing to global chemical policy negotiations to the Plastics Treaty meetings this week, and is supporting participation in the negotiations by more than 40 member organizations, primarily from low- and middle-income countries. To educate delegates and the public, IPEN has released a new briefing, “An Introduction To Plastics & Toxic Chemicals: How Plastics Harm Human Health And The Environment And Poison The Circular Economy.” Click here to see the briefing and more information.