INF/TE/IDP/RD/148* 
30 January 2024  
(24-0706) Page: 1/3 
 Original: English/anglais/inglés  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTICS TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE FORUM ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT, & THE SDGS (TESS)  
Plenary Meeting – 26 January 2024  
 
 
 
DOCUMENT DE S ÉANCE NON OFFICIEL1 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTICS TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE FORUM ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT, & THE SDGS (TESS)  
Plenary Meeting – 26 January 2024  
 
 
DOCUMENTO DE SALA NO OF ICIAL1 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTICS TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE FORUM ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT, & THE SDGS (TESS)  
Plenary Meeting – 26 January 2024  
_______________  
 
 
* 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 attributed 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 traducen 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 únicamente.  INF/TE/IDP/RD/148  
 
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WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution  (DPP)  
 
Statement by the Forum on Trade, Environment , & the SDGs (TESS)  
DPP Plenary  
26 January 2024  
 
Thank you for the opportunity to intervene  this morning .  
 
TESS congratulates M embers on the  revised draft of the Ministerial Statement for MC13  and list 
of compilations . Overall, w e view these  as very positive steps  forward. It also underscores the high 
importance that DPP m embers have accorded to the issue of plastic pollution and the role that 
trade -related cooperation can play in addressing this global challenge . 
 
We recogniz e the  hard work of co-convenors and Members to keep their eye on the goal of doing 
something effective and meaningful here at the WTO, w hile also recogniz ing the complex set of 
challenges at hand. We think the statement represents a positive spirit of compromise,  reflect ing 
both the ambition and  political will to  work together as well as a  balance of  the views of all DPP 
Members and inputs provided by stakeholders. We are encouraged by the commitment to the DPP 
expressed by Ambassadors this morning  and encourage you to sustain the level of ambition.  
 
On the Ministerial Statement  specifically, the statement makes  clear that the DPP process can  and 
intends  to both complement and  contribute to the INC process on an international legally binding 
instrument without prejudging it. We are  also pleased that the draft statement notes the UNEA 
resolution`s call “to continue and step-up activities, and adopt voluntary measur es, to combat 
plastic pollution ” while the INC  negotiations are underway and the DPP is one of the venues 
through which this can happen.  
 
The discussions in the DPP and findings from the survey on trade -related plastic s measures 
highlight that  trade policies  are already  an important part of the toolkit being used to  address plastic 
pollution in bot h developed and developing WTO M embers . Discussions within the DPP provide  
opportunities for WTO Members to show how it is possible  to take trade -related action  in ways that 
are ambitious and address wider sustainable development concerns, including those from 
developing countries , and to advance cooperation and concrete outcomes . Such action and 
cooperation can feed into INC negotiations  and also  be accelerated and reinforced by  the 
outcomes of those negotiations.  
 
TESS also appreciates that the Ministerial Statement provides for further updating the  compilation 
lists periodically based on global, reg ional , and domestic efforts and outcomes, as well as  techn ical 
and scientific developments and  any results of the INC negotiations . 
 
Looking ahead, TESS welcomes the intention of DPP Members, noted in the Ministerial Statement, 
to work to update a work plan in the months following MC13 and  to look for further concrete, 
pragmatic, and effective outcomes on these actions and understandings at the latest by MC14. To 
realiz e this commitment, it will be vital that the format, agenda of meetings , questions for 
discussion,  and other work in the workplan are designed specif ically to foster such outcomes.INF/TE/IDP/RD/148  
 
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As the post -MC13 workplan is developed, TESS  also encourage s members to include focused 
discussions on topics or issues that may be of particular interest to developing countries, including 
least -developed countries  and small -island developing states . These could include, for instance, 
deep -dive sessi ons focused specifically on concrete options for trade -related cooperation and 
collective action on  particular  challenges (such as specific  non-plastic substitutes, single -use 
plastics , and problematic packaging  such as sachets)  as well as particular Aid for Trade needs  
and partnership opportunities .  Such deep -dive sessions could also focus on case examples from 
specific countries and involve stakeholders from the private sector or NGOs that are engaged  at 
the country level  in relevant effo rts to tackle plastic pollution and in the transformation of related  
supply chains . Sessions could also focus on  updat ing members on  specific  recent national and 
regional trade –related policy developments and innovations that are relevant to discussions here 
at the DPP. In addition, we support the proposal by Norway for a webinar to inform the INC 
negotiation process on the evidence and insights on trade and trade -related measures gather ed 
through the DPP process . 
 
As suggested in our statement last year at the DPP pre -plenary, we also propose  that it  would 
send a valuable signal if, alongside the Ministerial Statement  at MC13 , a number of DPP M embers 
seized MC13 as an occasion to reference specific trade -related actions and cooperation to tackle 
plastic pollution that they are taking or considering indiv idually or together with other M embers. 
Ministers could, for instance, provide examples of such actions in their interventions at the 
Ministerial Conference, in their press statements , or at the press conference, which would help to 
illustrate engagement and commitment to concrete action.  
 
From our side , a quick update is that TESS is also organizing a panel alongside MC13 in  
collabo ration with Pew, the International Institute for Sustainable Development ( IISD), and 
UNCTAD on “Fostering Trade -Related Cooperation on Plastic Pollution: The Dialogue on Plastic 
Pollution beyond MC 13” at the IISD  Trade + Sustainability Hub.  The panel aims to complement 
the DPP press briefing  and to engage the  wider stakeholder community at  MC13 . We have invited 
high-level speakers from each of the DPP co -convenors to provide remarks  and hope that at least 
a couple  of them will be able to join, alongside experts from WTO Secretariat and a wider 
community of stakeholders. All of those at MC13 are invited to attend the  panel session,  which will 
also be live streamed.  
 
A further  update is that in the coming weeks  TESS will be organizing  a seminar with experts at the 
World Customs Organization (WCO) on potential plastics -related H armonized System (HS)  
amendments under review  at WCO sub -committee meetings in May and September 2024. We 
continue to urge all DPP and INC Members to actively engage and coordinate with their customs 
administration counterparts on the  WCO’s  ongoing HS amendments process.  
 
A final note is that TESS  will publish, just after MC13 , a policy  brief with QUNO titled “The Role of 
Trade Policy Cooperation in the Promotion of Environmentally Sound  and Safe Plastic Waste 
Management Technologies and Services.”  We look forward to opportunities to share the analys is 
with participants in the DPP.  
 
We than k you again for the opportunity and wish you all a productive and successful MC13!