INF/TE/IDP/RD/42* 
 
30 June 202 2 
(22-5083) Page: 1/2 
 Original: English, anglais, inglés  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
 
REMARKS BY H.E. AMBASSADOR LI CHENGGANG  
AT THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY 
SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  (IDP)  MEETING  
IDP meeting - 24 May 2022  
 
 
DOCUMENT DE S ÉANCE NON OFFICIEL1 
 
REMARKS BY H.E. AMBASSADOR LI CHENGGANG  
AT THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY 
SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  (IDP)  MEETING  
IDP meeting - 24 May 2022  
 
 
DOCUMENTO DE SALA NO OF ICIAL1 
 
REMARKS BY H.E. AMBASSADOR LI CHENGGANG  
AT THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY 
SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  (IDP)  MEETING  
IDP meeting - 24 May 2022  
_______________  
  
 
* In Original language only/En langue originale seulement/En el idioma original solamente.  
1 Documents issued in the RD series are not official WTO documents. They usually appear in their 
language of submission and will not be translated systematically into the working languages of the WTO. They 
are intended for use in WTO meeting rooms and are a ttributed an unofficial symbol for archiving purposes only.  
Les documents de la série RD ne sont pas des documents officiels de l 'OMC. Ils ne paraissent 
généralement que dans la langue dans laquelle ils ont été communiqués et ne seront pas systématiquement 
traduits dans les langues de travail de l'OMC. Ils sont destinés aux salles de réunion de l'OMC et une cote non 
officielle leur est attribuée à des fins d'archivage.  
Los documentos de la serie RD no son documentos oficiales de la OMC. Por lo general se distribuyen en 
el idioma en que han sido presentados y no se traduce n sistemáticamente a los idiomas de trabajo de la 
Organización. Se distribuyen para su uso en las salas de reunión de la OMC y se les asigna una signatura no 
oficial a efecto s de archivo únicamente.  INF/TE/IDP/RD/42  
 
- 2 - 
 
  REMARKS BY H.E. AMBASSADOR LI CHENGGANG  
AT THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY 
SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE MEETING  – 24 MAY 2022  
Excellencies, dear colleagues,  
Good Morning and welcome to this second regular meeting of IDP in 2022.  
First of all, let me thank DDG Ambassador Jean -Marie Paugam, the Secretar iat and all Members and 
stakeholders for your participation and contribution.  
Today's plenary meeting is a good opportunity for the IDP to review its progress. Since our issuance 
of the IDP Ministerial Statement back at the end of last year, the IDP has be come a down -to-earth 
platform on which all interested WTO Members and stakeholders actively participate in the 
discussions towards the implementation of the Ministerial Statement. In our discussions, we heard 
specific proposals on Aid for Trade priorities,  survey of Trade -related Plastics Measures, and 
workshop on Sustainable and Effective Plastics Substitutes and Alternatives. We also heard calls for 
intensified work to enhance cooperation with international processes including UNEA, BRS, WCO and 
the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, among others. If you look at the agenda of this meeting, you will 
see that we are working together to translate proposals into concrete actions.  
I have to say, despite all the challenges, the IDP has maintained good momentum. We commen d all 
interested WTO Members on their contributions, and welcome new Members continually joining the 
IDP. I welcome the support of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who will declare their cosponsoring IDP 
today. The IDP cosponsors are representing a broad diversity of the WTO ’s membership, from 
some of the smallest to largest Members and from all regions — all of us can play a role in addressing 
the issue of plastics pollution. We are also grateful to the WTO Secretariat and the range of 
stakeholder who are contribut ing to this process. Your input and expertise are vital to help us 
understand issues and options, and to connect our work here to that underway in other international 
processes.  
Looking ahead, IDP should make its own contributions to the MC12. Coordinators  are working on a 
statement at MC12 to provide an update on our work thus far, including some early outcomes. We 
hope that during MC12 we can co -host a press briefing on IDP, involving Ministers to reaffirm our 
commitment to work on this topic and provide clear guidance for the future work in Geneva.  
Today's meeting is also a good opportunity for all interested WTO Members and stakeholders to 
share your perspectives and suggestions on the IDP after MC12. We could aim to identify priorities 
and actions for boosting capacity building. We could promote transparency of trade flows, including 
through cooperation with the WCO; and improve our understanding of trade policy actions taken by 
Members and the challenges/opportunities that arise.  
Since the issuance of the Ministerial Statement we note how work has advanced well not only at the 
WTO, but also at other forums, like UNEA –with the launch of negotiations in March; at WCO –with 
concrete discussions on a proposal to better identify plastics wastes; and at the BR S, with 
preparations for their upcoming COP (Meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, 
Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions) concurrent with the MC12. Following all those efforts, 
especially the UNEA resolution to launch negotiations on a new  treaty on plastics pollution, we 
believe our work here at the WTO is even more important than ever. The IDP can be guided by and 
support the goals of the treaty, and our work can help to identify challenges and opportunities on 
the trade and value chains side that can inform other international processes, including the treaty 
negotiations.  
It is often said that we need  "all hands on deck"  to solve the many aspects of plastics pollution 
across the life cycle of plastics. — and here at the WTO through the w ork of the IDP we have an 
opportunity to do our part.  
Thank you for your attention.  
 
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