INF/TE/IDP/R/14  
 
1 December 2023  
(23-8193) Page: 1/5 
  Original: English  
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS  POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY  
SUSTAINABLE PLASTIC S TRADE  
PRE-PLENARY MEETING HELD ON 21  SEPTEMBER  2023 
Aide Memoire1 
_______________  
 
 
1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY  COORDINATORS  
1.1.  The Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (Dialogue) 
comprising of 7 6 co-sponsors2 held their third pre -plenary meeting  for 2023  on 21 September . It 
was chaired by the Ambassador of  Barbados to the WTO H.E Matthew W ilson and the Ambassador 
of Ecuador to the WTO H.E. José Valencia . Deputy Director -General Jean -Marie Paugam also joined 
the meeting, while the Director of the Trade and Environment Division, Aik Hoe Lim, provided closing 
reflections.  
1.2.  The meeting began with an open briefing with stakeholders to hear their reactions on the 
first draft of the possible MC13 statement and thereafter proceeded with a Members -only segment. 
In both sessions, the coordinators presented for discussion the first draft of the  possible MC13 
statement and the skeleton of its potential annexes, which were circulated to Members and 
stakeholders prior to the meeting.  
1.3.  The meeting heard opening remarks from the Ambassadors of Barbados and Ecuador, as well 
as a brief description of th e first draft  by the coordinators. Ambassador Matthew Wilson from 
Barbados emphasized the need for the work of the Dialogue to be action -oriented and operational 
to address the over 170 trillion plastic particles floating in the oceans. Pointing to this op en briefing 
with stakeholders as a novel reality, he lauded the opportunity for such a platform that facilitates 
direct interactions between policy makers and stakeholders. He also commended the session on 
plastics pollution held a week earlier at the Publ ic Forum, demonstrating as to how the WTO was 
taking action on this important issue.  
1.4.  Ambassador José Valencia from Ecuador stressed the importance of collaborative approaches 
in the global response to plastic pollution and noted that contributions of the work of the Dialogue 
to the ongoing negotiations at the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Negotia ting Committee 
(INC) on Plastic Pollution for a legally -binding instrument to end plastic pollution by 2024. He 
highlighted four aspects in which the Dialogue could contribute to work at the INC: (i) share their 
understanding of the plastics economy from a  trade perspective, considering the current landscape 
 
1 This aide memoire is being shared to provide delegations with a brief overview of the discussions and 
assist t hem in reporting back to their capitals  as well as to the Dialogue plenary meeting . It provides a 
non-exhaustive, illustrative review of the issu es addressed by Members  and stakeholders  at the meeting.  
2 Albania; Angola; Australia; Austria; Barbados; Belgium; Bolivia, Pluri -national State of; Bulgaria; Cabo 
Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; 
Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Ecuador; Estonia; European Union; Fiji; Finland; France; Gambia; 
Germany; Gre ece; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kazakhstan; 
Korea, Republic of; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macao, China; Maldives; Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Morocco; 
Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; Paraguay;  Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian 
Federation; Samoa; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Singapore; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; Suriname; Sweden; 
Switzerland; Thailand; Tonga; United Kingdom; United States; Uruguay; and Vanuatu . INF/TE/IDP/R/14  
 
- 2 - 
 
  of plastics trade, including hidden plastics, and contribute on transparency mechanisms; (ii) identify 
best practices in the use of trade measures as a means of implementing environmental and health 
objectives; (iii) facilitate trade access to environmental technologies that can contribute to 
addressing the life -cycle of plastics; and (iv) respond to plastic -related aid -for-trade needs, with an 
emphasis on the needs of economies most impacted by this cri sis, particularly small and vulnerable 
economies, including small island developing states (SIDS).  
2  OPEN BRIEFING WITH STAKEHOLDERS  
2.1.  Coordinators presented the first draft of the possible MC13 statement, including its potential 
annexes. They highlighted that : (i) the preamble closely resembles the Dialogue's Ministerial 
Statement made at MC12; (ii) the shared principles were reflective of contributions received 
throughout the discussions on the draft; (ii) the actions set out were indicative, collective actio ns 
that Dialogue members could take, underpinned by directions in which they could take those actions. 
These flowed from the Dialogue's workplan on the three workstreams of reduction, promotion and 
cross-cutting issues. The actions were not meant to be bin ding on Members, but were an expression 
of a political will on what could be done to address the issue of plastic pollution; (iv) the potential 
annexes would be factually based on discussions held at the Dialogue – including information 
collected from the two surveys conducted (on trade -related plastic measures and on aid for trade 
needs), enumerate products, needs and policies most often raised and contain template types of 
measures that Members could take. They were intended to be a baseline reflection of  the Dialogue 
and the best practices taken by Members domestically.  
2.2.  Stakeholders took the floor to offer comments on the first draft and its potential annexes. The 
Forum on Trade, Environment and SDGs (TESS) urged specific language in the statement on 
follow-up action by the Dialogue, including reference to a roadmap for further work and the broad 
contours of potential goals, deliverables and outcomes for MC14. Calling for greater ambition among 
Members in populating the annexes, they suggested more explic it references to transparency -related 
measures, which Members could take individually or collectively as well as in collaboration with 
relevant international organizations, and an ongoing commitment for the Dialogue and the WTO 
Secretariat to be active in contributing to the INC trade -related expertise and considerations, which 
would enable exploration of further synergies in the future between Aid for Trade (AfT) initiatives on 
plastics and plastic pollution and any financial mechanism that may be set up t o facilitate the 
implementation of the plastics treaty. On the environmental credibility of the Dialogue, TESS 
stressed the need for products or services appearing in the annexes to be environmentally safe and 
sound, and suggested including only products o n which there was high consensus and evidence 
supporting their sustainability from an environmental and human health perspective while Members 
engaged in further discussions informed by technical institutions and environmental experts as 
needed. Finally, t o ensure the principles and commitments outlined in the MC13 statement and 
products, needs and measures in the annexes were translated into concrete outcomes, Members 
were encouraged to make their own individual or collective announcements on various trade  policy 
measures for reduction and promotion already undertaken or were being considered either 
domestically, regionally or collectively.  
2.3.  The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) noted that it was imperative that the 
Dialogue consider both har mful and safe materials and products, including alternatives and 
substitutes to plastics. Absent of an agreed definition or criteria as to safe alternatives or substitutes 
to plastics, which were under discussion within the INC process, CIEL stressed the n eed for any 
compilation of safe alternatives and substitutes under the aegis of the WTO to be grounded in the 
insights derived from the INC process, to maintain coherence at the international level and within 
international law. In addition, it was of param ount importance that decisions concerning the 
classification of "better plastics" or plastic substitutes be grounded in a solid evidentiary foundation, 
in line with international legal principles and, as international law prescribed, based on the "best 
available scientific knowledge", which is vital in preventing "regrettable solutions".  
2.4.  UNCTAD called on the MC13 statement to include options for transparency, notification 
mechanisms as well as the need for public support reform in the petroleum -based polym er and 
petrochemical sectors in all countries, a point which they noted was raised by various delegations 
and stakeholders over the course of the Dialogue's meetings. They pointed to the use of the term 
"non-plastic substitutes" in the INC zero draft and e ncouraged the Dialogue to adopt the same term 
for coherence. Where there were no existing standards for non -plastic substitutes and plastic 
alternatives, the Dialogue could seek guidance from Members and stakeholders on their experiences INF/TE/IDP/R/14  
 
- 3 - 
 
  and best practices  as to the principles or criteria on "environmentally sustainable, safe and effective" 
substitutes and alternatives. To match the level of ambition sought within the Dialogue, a "funding 
and matching funds mechanism", over a simple reference to a "mechanis m to match funding 
opportunities", would be appropriate to also enable LDCs and SIDS to make a "just transition out of 
plastics".  
2.5.  Trisia Farrelly, on behalf of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, proposed 
the Dialogue establish a d edicated Science Policy Interface as a subsidiary body of the global plastics 
instrument with capacity to provide independent expertise with representation across regions, 
expertise and disciplines tasked with taking a full life cycle approach to plastics:  (i) establish safety, 
sustainability, essentiality, and transparency criteria for chemicals, polymers, plastic products, 
plastics alternatives, and substitutes, EPR schemes, and supporting technologies based on 
precautionary and prevention principles; and  (ii) develop a hybrid regulatory approach with the 
following lists: permissible, restricted, prohibited, and exempted for the items listed.  They stressed 
that any promotion of trade -related cooperation to end plastic pollution should prevent the trade of 
non-essential and hazardous polymers, associated chemicals, and primary and secondary plastic 
products and plastic waste as well as unsafe, unsustainable, and non -essential plastic alternatives 
and substitutes . Further, any (A4T) programmes to address plas tic pollution should not facilitate the 
trade of such unsafe and unsustainable polymers, chemicals, plastic products, plastic waste as well 
as alternatives and substitutes.  
2.6.  The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS Conventions)  
informed the Dialogue on the 2023 outcomes of the 2023 Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, 
Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions related to trade -related plastic wastes, including the 
adoption of Technical Guidelines for the identification and environm entally sound management of 
plastic wastes and for their disposal,3 as communicated to the Dialogue at its last meeting. A number 
of activities of relevance to the Dialogue were also being implemented under the Plastic Waste 
Partnership of the Basel Conve ntion, including the development of a factsheet on Harmonized 
System (HS) codes relevant to plastic waste and their relation to amendments to the Basel 
Convention on plastic waste, as well as the launch of the Forum on Extended Producer Responsibility 
for Plastic Wastes. The BRS Conventions Secretariat made references to plastic additives in a number 
of annexes and had included the information on the current global trade control regime for plastic 
wastes.  
2.7.  Pew Charitable Trusts highlighted that an understan ding of the specific goods, including 
polymers of concern, that should be reduced and promoted was a key first step to developing and 
applying trade -related plastic measures that would  tackle plastic pollution , and the Dialogue should 
thus connect these ke y first steps to a larger post -MC13 work plan that would outline concrete 
actions to be taken to produce options that would promote cooperation and improve the 
effectiveness of policies on plastics. They stressed the need for the Dialogue to commit to 
implementing a course of action at MC13, called for greater specificity in the proposed MC13 
statement, including reference to concrete milestones that specify the future work and progress to 
be accomplished post -MC13 in a potential annex. MC13 should be harne ssed as an opportunity to 
reset the Dialogue on a focused path to action, and the statement would be much improved by 
inclusion of a post -MC13 work plan or minimally a set of action -oriented, focused milestones to 
achieve action at or before MC14 that emph asized, among others, the importance and effectiveness 
of experience sharing among Members. Pew further referred to their Breaking the Plastic Wave study 
and the joint research with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Duke 
University on the types of trade measures most often used, both of which were presented at previous 
Dialogue's meetings. They urged the Dialogue to consider incorporating the results of both studies 
to make reduction of plastics a priority and in better iden tifying trade -related plastics measures.  
2.8.  One delegation sought stakeholders' clarification and assistance in providing the relevant 
scientific basis which could be internationally agreed to and accepted by all Members, to substantiate 
claims that plastics  were harmful to human health or the environment. Raising the health impacts 
of plastic pollution along the full life cycle of plastics, including food systems and safety and security, 
Trisia Farrelly offered to provide a more detailed response from inputs  by technical experts/scientists 
from the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty.  
 
3 Document  UNEP/CHW.16/6/Add.3/Rev.1 avalab le at: 
https://www.brsmeas.org/2023COPs/Meetingsdocuments/tabid/9373/language/en -US/Default.aspx . INF/TE/IDP/R/14  
 
- 4 - 
 
  3  MEMBERS -ONLY MEETING  
3.1.  Coordinators mentioned that most comments received from Members on the first draft were 
more "tinkering on the edges" than suggesting a fundamental difference in approach. Regarding the 
annexes to the proposed MC13 statement, these were shared in skeleton form to move things ahead 
while the two factual reports on the Dialogue surveys were pending finalization by co -sponsors. 
Coordinators e mphasized that the annexes were not intended to be a definitive statement of any 
position but were meant to draw on the experience of Members shared through the Dialogue on a 
variety of topics, such as the types of plastics Members were already addressing through trade 
measures, the policy measures they were using, their aid for trade needs, transparency needs and 
so on. This was meant to reflect the Members' common understanding on the types of issues to be 
addressed and were not intended to foreshadow the  INC, evident in the language of the annexes 
referencing an "open, illustrative, non -exhaustive and evolving list." Members with concerns on the 
annexes were strongly encouraged to work together to find language that all co -sponsors would be 
comfortable wi th.  
3.2.  Thirteen co -sponsors took the floor to comment on the first draft, with many having also 
submitted written comments on the draft. In general, delegations expressed support for the draft 
MC13 statement as a contribution to global efforts to addressing plastic pollution, with several who 
were also Members of the high ambition coalition at the INC calling for the Dialogue's MC13 outcomes 
to heed the level of ambition already recognised at the INC and send a strong signal of Members' 
commitment. One delega tion pointed to the important role of the WTO in inserting its trade expertise 
in various initiatives, particularly at the INC where trade elements have been acknowledged to be of 
high relevance.  
3.3.  Many delegations, continued to be mindful of the interactio n between the work of the Dialogue 
and the INC, underscoring the need to ensure complementarity in both processes without duplicating 
efforts or prejudging the INC process. To this end, the coordinators noted that this relationship 
between the Dialogue and  the INC should not mean that the Dialogue needed to remain in any 
discussions on the trade -related practices, measures, and policies that could help address plastic 
pollution, but that the Dialogue should seek to reach outcomes in a mutually supportive ma nner. 
The Dialogue could compile the practices which its Members were currently implementing and 
capture this as part of its outcomes for MC13 without making a valued statement on its correctness. 
This was the intention behind the potential annexes to the proposed MC13 statement, which the 
coordinators saw value also to the INC as a snapshot of the measures, practices, and policies already 
in place in various parts of the globe.  
3.4.  To this end, one delegation pleaded the Dialogue to carefully consider the fra ming of its 
messaging, particularly the annexes, in balance with the level of detail necessary to maintain the 
high level of ambition of the Dialogue. One delegation further noted that Members may have different 
teams working on negotiations at the Dialogu e and the INC and requested the Dialogue take this 
into account when working on the text of the proposed statement, such as where reference was 
made to topics under discussion at the INC.  
3.5.  Delegations also highlighted the important contribution of the rule s-based multilateral trading 
system and trade -related cooperation to global efforts aimed at ending plastic pollution. Several 
delegations welcomed references to related international agreements such as the BRS Conventions  
and welcomed the valuable support  provided by the international community at the Dialogue, the 
INC, and other forums.  
3.6.  On alternative plastics and non -plastic substitutes, several delegations expressed support in 
having more detailed discussion on substitutes and alternatives in the Dialo gue. This could entail a 
greater examination in detail of each listed substitute, inviting experts and seeking advice from 
stakeholders such as the World Customs Organization on their HS classification and exploring ways 
to facilitate the trade of those su bstitutes and their raw materials. Given the vast list of substitutes, 
the Dialogue was urged to begin work early in this area.  
3.7.  One delegation noted that the definition of "harmful and unnecessary plastics and plastic 
products" had not reached consensus a nd where this involved a scientific discussion, it might be 
better addressed at the INC. Another delegation sought clarification on the relevant data about the INF/TE/IDP/R/14  
 
- 5 - 
 
  plastics economy that was to be shared, including the particular data implied, the instruments o f 
information sharing, and the frequency of the activity.  
3.8.  On the potential annexes to the proposed statement, delegations converged on the need for 
the annexes to remain living documents even after MC13 , to take on board developments to wards  
the global pla stics treaty at the INC. One delegation expressed reservations at the level of detail of 
the annexes at this stage, such as on alternatives and substitutes where there was no universal 
standard and where the Dialogue had yet to reach conclusive discussions . Another delegation agreed 
with UNCTAD's suggestion for a bifurcation of the annexes on substitutes and alternatives and sought 
to include considerations on trade -related Extended Producer Responsibility as well as cross -border 
plastic waste, particularly  on risk management in terms of administration of their trade flows. In 
expressing its support for the proposed draft statement, one delegation reiterated the impact of 
plastic pollution particularly on SIDS and suggested the inclusion of additives and che micals of 
concern in the annexes. On the whole, Members were encouraged to exercise greater flexibility in 
moving discussions forward, with further discussions to be held on the design of the annexes, among 
others.  
3.9.  On the question raised by one delegation regarding funding opportunities and details of the 
proposed "match -making mechanism", the coordinators pointed to the AfT survey and its draft 
factual report which identified developing countries' needs and developed countries development 
assistance progra mmes. The Dialogue's next steps would be for Members to work on details of such 
a match -making mechanism, and suggestions for improvement were welcomed.  
3.10.  In response to a suggestion raised by several stakeholders at the open briefing with 
stakeholders, one delegation expressed support for the Dialogue to pursue a roadmap for MC14. 
Coordinators added that this roadmap could also focus on plastic substitutes and alternatives moving 
forward.  
3.11.  One delegation raised a concern that the UN INC's zero draft plastics treaty, which implied 
various trade instruments such as subsidies, technical regulation, quantitative restrictions, tariffs, 
internal taxes and charges etc in respect to plastics, affected the rights and obligations of Members 
under the WTO agreements and would establish a new system for developing international trade 
rules that could contradict the WTO or even replace it.  
3.12.  Finally, Ambassador Wilson invited Hoe Lim (Director, TED) to share his reflections on the 
Dialogue. Director Lim welcomed  the Dialogue' s extensive work and fast-growing membership since 
its inception in November 2020. Noting the successful conclusion of the Public Forum  during which 
stakeholders reaffirmed the immense potential of the WTO in moving the needle on addressing 
environmental c hallenges of our time, he underscored the unique opportunity presented by the 
Dialogue in bridging the coherence between WTO and UN INC processes, underpinned by the 
Dialogue's focused and technical work on the trade aspects of plastics pollution.  
4  CONCLUDI NG REMARKS AND NEXT STEPS  
4.1.  Coordinators would next integrate comments on the first draft and prepare a new version of 
the MC13 statement. They would also share a more developed version of the potential annexes to 
the MC13 statement, taking into account info rmation from factual reports of the two surveys 
conducted on: (i) trade -related plastic measures; and (ii) plastic -related aid for trade needs 
assessment.  
4.2.  Coordinators had been meeting regularly to advance concrete outcomes in the 
three  workstreams and might organize ad hoc  informal meetings going forward to advance on the 
MC13 outcomes as necessary. The next meetings were scheduled for 16 -17 September 
(pre-plenary) and 11  December (plenary).  
 
__________