INF/TE/IDP/RD/65* 
 
27 October 2022  
(22-8083)  Page: 1/2 
 Original: English /anglais /inglés  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE FORUM ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT & THE SDGS (TESS)  
Plenary  Meeting 11 October  2022 
 
DOCUMENT DE S ÉANCE NON OFFICIEL1 
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE FORUM ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT & THE SDGS (TESS)  
Plenary  Meeting 11 October  2022 
 
 
 
DOCUMENTO DE SALA NO OF ICIAL1 
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE FORUM ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT & THE SDGS (TESS)  
Plenary  Meeting 11 October  2022 
 
 
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* 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 systématiquemen t 
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 d istribuyen 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 efectos de archivo ún icamente.  INF/TE/IDP/RD/65  
 
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Statement by the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS)  
Dialogue on Plastics Pollution  
Plenary  
11 October 2022  
 
 
Agenda Item 4 (c). Promoting Trade to Tackle Plastic Pollution  
 
TESS welcomes the various initiatives taking place on plastic substitutes and alternatives and in 
particular the sharing of different experiences from various member states. In regard to the 
forthcoming UNCTAD -WTO workshop on plastic substitutes to be held  on 6th December, we believe 
that it would be useful to have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of Members on plastic 
substitutes and alternatives.  Every Member might have different substitutes and alternatives that 
are appropriate for them and  their environmental sustainability across the life cycle will depend on 
local production and disposability options. It would be useful to learn more about the kinds of 
challenges Members are facing in the scale -up of manufacturing and exports of environme ntally 
sound substitutes and alternatives. It would also be helpful to learn more about the operation of 
global supply chains for plastic substitutes. For example, what sort of North -South private sector 
linkages or collaboration exists? Are there any comp anies in OECD countries for example that have 
invested in plastic substitutes in developing countries? How has that worked and what have been 
the challenges they faced? Are their examples of South -South cooperation or value chains for plastic 
substitutes? It may be useful to draw lessons from private sector companies that are involved in 
such supply chains.  
 
Agenda Item 4 (d). Crosscutting Issues  
 
TESS welcomes the collaboration between WTO and WCO. A very quick follow up on the WCO’s 
intervention at the la st pre -plenary. Their representative, Gael Grooby, highlighted that the next 
WCO meeting for this ongoing 2027 cycle of the Harmonised System review process will take place 
in early November followed by a final one early next year. These two meetings repre sent the final 
opportunities for Members to put forward proposals for discussion for amendments in the current 
HS review cycle.  The next opportunity will be the 2032 HS review process. With this in mind, we 
encourage Members to submit proposals or request s for specific work on this topic to the WCO 
Secretariat in order to kick start some explicit discussion on possible amendments related to trade 
across the life cycle of plastics. We refer members again to our policy brief and research paper on 
Plastic Pollution and Trade Across the Life Cycle of Plastics: Options for Amending the Harmonized 
System to Improve Transparency  
 
 
 
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