INF/TE/IDP/CN/5  
 
3 May 2022  
(22-3457) Page: 1/4 
  Original: English  
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  (IDP)  
CONVENING NOTICE  
The following convening notice, dated 3 May 2022 , is being circulated at the request of the IDP 
Coordinators and Facilitators . 
 
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1. IDP will hold a pre -plenary meeting in hybrid mode on Wednesday,  11 May 2022,  
from 10 a.m.  Geneva time.  All WTO Members are invited to attend the meeting . Please see 
technical arrangements in Annex I . 
2. Agenda.  
1) Introductory remarks by coordinators  
 
2) Crosscutting issues1 – Facilitators. Fiji, the UK and China  
 
a. Introductory remarks by facilitators  
b. Presentation by China of suggested elements of a communication to the World 
Customs Organisation (WCO)  
c. Presentation by UK on Aid for Trade Global Review , UNEA and Oceans Forum 
engagement  
d. Open discussion (delegations and stakeholders) on the presentations and guiding 
questions. Delegations may send writte n replies to the guiding questions:  
i. How can the IDP encourage enhanced transparency regarding trade policies 
relevant to reducing plastic pollution and environmentally sustainable 
plastics trade?   For example, would a taxonomy of types of trade policies or  
recommendations for providing information on trade policies be helpful?   
ii. How can we encourage consideration of plastic pollution and environmentally 
sustainable plastics trade in Aid for Trade programmes with environmentally 
sustainable objectives? What are specific Aid for Trade priorities for 
developing Members , and how can donors and Aid for Trade providers better 
support these?  
iii. Which international processes and efforts can the IDP most effectively 
engage with and support (for example, UNEA, BRS, WCO), including 
facilitating interaction between trade and environment officials?  
iv. How can the IDP best contribute its trade expertise to the work of other  
processes in regard to plastic pollution i.e. input in areas such as design of 
standards and labellin g for plastics, identifying options and best practices for 
the effective use of trade policies to support plastic pollution reduction 
 
1 According to the IDP Plan 2022 ( INF/TE/IDP/W/5 ), topics include capacity building and technical 
assistance; fostering international cooperation on transparency and data; cooperation and collaboration with 
other international organizations and processes, and collective approaches.  INF/TE/IDP/CN/5  
 
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  efforts; identifying where trade can support plastic pollution reduction (e.g. 
in environmentally sustainable non -plastic substitutes or environmentally 
sound waste management and clean up technologies); proposing/identifying 
specific areas where improved trade -related data is needed for trade -related 
cooperation on plastic pollution, including through improved HS 
classificat ions; facilitating interaction between trade and environment 
officials working on plastic pollution?  
3) Promoting Trade to Tackle Plastic Pollution2 – Facilitators: t he Philippines and 
Australia  
 
a. Introductory remarks by facilitators . 
b. Technical presentation by UNCTAD on Material Substitutes to Single -Use Plastics 
(next steps)  
c. Open discussion (delegations and stakeholders) on the presentation and guiding 
questions.  Delegations may send written replies to the guiding questions:  
i. What are priorities, best practices and national/regional actions that can be 
pursued for promoting and facilitating trade in goods and services to tackle 
plastic pollution, including standards, labelling, as well as access to and use 
of technologies such as wa ste management and effective substitutes and 
alternatives? What action are being taken - or could be taken – 
nationally /regionally, and where would international cooperation support the 
effectiveness of these actions?  
ii. How can the promotion and facilitation  of trade in goods and services, 
including the use and access to technologies, support the work of other 
international processes, including improved HS classifications?  
4) Reduction to Tackle Plastic Pollution  and Circular  economy for plastics3 – 
Facilitator s: Colombia and Ecuador  
 
a. Introductory remarks by facilitators . 
b. Presentation by Colombia of suggested elements of a survey to Members on their 
Trade -related Plastic Measures (TrPM) adopted or planned to address plastics 
pollution.  
c. Open discussion (delegations and stakeholders) on the presentation and guiding 
questions. Delegations may send written replies to the guiding questions:  
i. What are the key trade policy challenges and opportunities relevant to the 
shift to a circular economy for plastics tha t reduces plastic pollution across 
the life cycle and serves sustainable development goals?  
ii. How can trade -related cooperation help support effort to reduce 
unnecessary or harmful plastics and plastic products, including single -use 
plastics and plastic pac kaging?  
iii. How can trade and trade policies promote a circular economy that supports 
international efforts to tackle plastics pollution and sustainable development 
goals?  
 
2 According to the IDP Plan 2022 ( INF/TE/IDP/W/5 ), topics include environmentally sustainable waste 
managem ent technologies; environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives; reused and 
recycled plastics, including by incentivizing increased reuse and recycling of plastics (considering evidence of 
their long -term impacts); and technologies  for environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and 
alternatives of interest to developing members and least developed members including SIDS which are especially 
vulnerable to marine litter and plastic pollution, and opportunities for their MSM Es. 
3 According to the IDP Plan 2022 ( INF/TE/IDP/W/5 ), topics include how trade -related cooperation could 
help to support efforts to reduce unnecessary or harmful plastics and plastic products, including single -use 
plastics and plastic packaging associated  with international trade; and sharing experiences of effective 
approaches to move towards more circular resource efficient and environmentally sustainable plastics trade.  INF/TE/IDP/CN/5  
 
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  5) Open discussion and interventions by stakeholders  
a. General guiding questions  
i. What are the key priorities  for implementation of the IDP Ministerial 
Statement?   
ii. How can the IDP implement these priorities?   
iii. What tools can the IDP utilise and what actions can the IDP take to 
implement the Ministerial Statement?  
iv. What existing research , analysis or evidence can support the efforts of the 
IDP. What further work is advisable?  
6) Coordinators concluding remarks  
 
 
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  INF/TE/IDP/CN/5  
 
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  Annex I - Technical Arrangements  
 
Please note that this meeting will be held in  hybrid mode  (room D and via Zoom).  
 
 
1  REMOTE PARTICIPATION  
Delegates wishing to participate virtually via the Zoom platform, including capital -based officials,  
must register through this link:  
https://worldtradeorganization.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1UYEBs6sR_Cdw -9fcwT5tQ  
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the 
meeting.  
 
If prompted for the following information when accessing the meeting, please enter:  
 
Webinar ID:  897 0854 0874  
Webinar Passcode:  110522  
 
Before the meeting:  
 
• We are available 1/2 hour before the meeting to test your connection with you.  
 
During the meeting:  
 
• If technical difficulties result in delegations being unable to intervene virtually under a given 
agenda item, the opportunity to take the floor will be given at an appropriate juncture before 
the meeting closes. Should the technical problem persist, delegations may contact the 
meeting coord inators ( idp@wto.org ) during the course of the meeting, either to send their 
statement for it to be read out during the meeting, or to request that the attendees be 
informed of their interest in the item under considerati on and their intention to circulate 
their written statement after the meeting.  
 
2  ATTENDANCE IN THE MEETING ROOM  
For the health protection of all, and to respect the sanitary measures in place ; Masks remain 
mandatory in common areas and meeting rooms . 
 
3  STAT EMENTS  
To facilitate interpretation, delegations are strongly encouraged to send their written statements to 
the Secretariat ( idp@wto.org ) before the meeting starts. Statements will also be gratefully received 
during the meeting  (idp@wto.org ). 
 
 
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