Opening Statement INC-3 Preparatory Meeting
Presented by Pamela Miller, IPEN Co-Chair, North America
November 11, 2023
Thank you Madame/Mr Co-Facilitators. I am speaking as Co-Chair on behalf of IPEN, a network of more than 600 civil society organisations from more than 120 countries.
IPEN believes the Plastics Treaty is a vital step to make significant progress on the protection of human health, the health of other living beings, and the environment from the toxic impacts of plastics throughout their full lifecycle.
We believe the preamble of the Treaty should recognize the harm from plastic pollution and that the science is clear about the fact that plastics and associated chemicals are a global concern.
As for the scope, we believe as has been stated by many States that it is already clearly defined in UNEA resolution 5/14 and it should cover the full lifecycle. Science shows that toxic chemicals associated with plastics are causing harm at all stages. IPEN has documented the presence of toxic chemicals in plastic pellets, in consumers’ products and in recycled plastics. We have found toxic chemicals in toys, in clothes and in food packaging. These chemicals are of global concern as they are transported into remote regions, including the Arctic where I live and conduct research, affecting biodiversity as well as the health and safety of traditional foods that are essential for the health and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic.
The plastics treaty is a global health treaty and the guiding principles should be informed by those of other MEAs including the precautionary principle, as well as the principles of human rights and transparency.
To protect workers, the planet, and our future, we need global controls and transparency on hazardous chemicals.
Thank you for your consideration.
Opening Statement
Presented by Pamela Miller, IPEN Co-Chair, Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Thank you Madame/Mr Co-Facilitators. And good afternoon to all. I am speaking as Co-Chair on behalf of IPEN, a network of more than 600 civil society organisations from more than 120 countries, as well as Alaska Community Action on Toxics, a participating organization
IPEN believes the Plastics Treaty is a vital step to make significant progress on the protection of human health, the health of other living beings, and the environment from the toxic impacts of plastics throughout their full lifecycle.
The plastics treaty is a global health treaty and we believe that intersessional work on criteria of chemicals and an initial list of chemicals would help move the negotiations forward in a constructive manner. Intersessional work should be carried out openly, transparently and with the contributions of independent scientists and civil society and free of conflicts of interest.
Science shows that toxic chemicals associated with plastics are causing harm at all stages of the lifecycle. IPEN has documented the presence of toxic chemicals in plastic pellets, in consumers’ products and in recycled plastics.
We have found toxic chemicals in plastic toys, in clothes and in food packaging. These chemicals are of global concern as they are transported into remote regions, including the Arctic where I live and conduct research, affecting biodiversity as well as the health and safety of traditional foods that are essential for the health and well being of the Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic.
To protect workers, the planet, and our future, we therefore need global controls and transparency on hazardous chemicals in plastics.
Thank you for your consideration.
Plenary Statement
Presented by Pamela Miller, IPEN Co-chair
November 13, 2023
Thank you, Mr. Chair and good afternoon to all. I am speaking as Co-Chair on behalf of IPEN, a network of more than 600 civil society organisations from 120 countries. Our members from around the world are directly harmed throughout the entire life cycle of plastics from the extraction of fossil fuels, plastics and chemicals manufacturing, use and disposal. We uphold and support a human rights-based approach in the development of the new treaty.
Science is definitive that toxic chemicals associated with plastics are causing harm at all stages of the lifecycle. IPEN has documented the presence of toxic chemicals in plastic pellets, in consumers’ products and in recycled plastics. We have found toxic chemicals in plastic toys, in clothes and in food packaging.
The future treaty should be centered on prevention of harm from plastics throughout the life cycle by drastically phasing down production and consumption of plastics and reject false solutions included in the zero draft such as recycling and chemicals recycling that have failed to work for decades. We urge that the committee advance a first draft for INC-4 based on elements of the zero draft and discussions here so that real progress can be made on the substance of the treaty. We believe that intersessional work on criteria of chemicals, including polymers and monomers, and an initial list of chemicals would help move the negotiations forward in a constructive manner.
IPEN believes a strong Plastics Treaty is vital toward protection of human health and the health of all living beings from the toxic effects of plastics. To protect workers, the planet, and our future, we therefore need a true just transition, global controls and transparency on hazardous chemicals in plastics.
Thank you for your consideration.
Opening Statement, Contact Group 2
Presented by Gohar Khojayan, Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment
Thank you, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates.
Pollution is recognized as one of the three planetary crises. But, unlike climate and biodiversity, it does not have its own funding to implement the necessary measures.
Regarding plastic pollution specifically, any solution aiming to address its negative impacts must include significant investment considering the scale and complexity of these impacts and to drive innovation and sustainability of the plastic sector.
Parties shall provide the necessary resources for national activities intended to implement this Treaty.
IPEN welcomes the Zero Draft document and believes it is important to establish a dedicated plastics multilateral fund or funds through the new instrument (as noted in Part III, Option one of paragraphs 6 and 7), with Member States and other funding sources contributing funds for support.
The GEF portfolio to address pollution from chemicals and waste is severely underfunded and the traditional donor country financing is not enough to finance the chemicals and waste pollution solution agenda. Currently the Basel Convention, the only existing MEA addressing plastic pollution challenges has no funding mechanism.
The provision on financing also prescribes the creation of a globally coordinated plastic pollution fee, to be paid by plastic polymer producers within its jurisdiction to implement the polluter pays principle, and strengthen funding resources. The Treaty should ensure that these funds collected through the fee are used for the implementation of the Treaty.
Robust financing will be required to cover the costs of necessary enabling activities as well as to cover incremental costs arising from the obligations under the Treaty. Enabling activities will include institutional building, awareness raising, capacity building, implementation, enforcement, compliance, monitoring, reporting, and stakeholder participation. These activities, once carried out, will decrease expenditures previously required to treat diseases linked to toxic chemical exposures due to plastic production, use and destruction. Additional incremental will arise in the implementing activities to support just transition and societal and economic transformation needed to address the plastic crisis.
Finally, we believe that the INC should plan on country-led intersessional work including creating a working group that takes up the issue of sufficient, transparent, apolitical, sustainable, accessible and predictable funding for implementation of the Treaty, and propose tools to operationalize the “polluter pays principle” for holding companies responsible for plastic pollution.
Thank you.
Opening Statement, Contact Group 1
Presented by Aileen Lucero, EcoWaste Coalition, Philippines
Thank you co-facilitator
I am speaking on behalf of IPEN.
Of more than 16,000 plastic chemicals, 25% are already classified as hazardous, but only 3% of the chemicals are regulated under existing MEAs. Regulating chemicals used and present in plastics is paramount in order to protect human health and the environment and for provision 2 option one is the most suitable option. We have three suggestions for your consideration for this provision:
First: For option 1 paragraph 1 we suggest that you include “use and presence in” to encompass non-intentionally added substances as well as intentionally added substances.
Second: We urge you to retain the Annex to provision 2 as that ensures the necessary flexibility to adapt to future scientific data on chemicals used in plastics. It is necessary that the Annex contains clear criteria for determination of which chemicals to eliminate and phase out, as well as an initial list of problematic chemicals, including additives, monomers and polymers; and NIAS
Third: for that Annex we encourage intersessional work on criteria and an initial list of chemicals and groups of chemicals
Lastly it is important that exemptions to any of the provisions should undergo a rigorous review process, be limited to those that are necessary for the functioning of society and time-bound.
Thank you very much for your consideration.