WT/MIN(21)/8  
 
22 November 2021  
(21-8817) Page: 1/3 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 30 November -3 December 2021  Original: English  
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTICS TRADE (IDP)  
 
MC12 MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTICS TRADE  
The following communication, dated 22 November 2021, is being circulated at the request of  
Australia; Barbados; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; 
China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; European Union; Fiji; The Gambia; Hong Kong, China; 
Iceland; Jamaica; Japan ; Kazakhstan; Macao,  China; Morocco; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; 
Peru; Philippines; Russian Federation; Switzerland; Thailand; United  Kingdom; and Vanuatu . 
 
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We, the Ministers representing the following Members of the WTO: Australia; Barbados; Cabo Verde; 
Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; 
Ecuador; European Union; Fiji; The Gambia; Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Jamaica; Japan ; 
Kazakhstan; Macao,  China; Morocco; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; Peru; Philippines; Russian 
Federation; Switzerland; Thailand; United  Kingdom; and Vanuatu  issue this statement at the 12th 
WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12):  
Recalling  that the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO recognizes the role of  trade in 
achieving the objective of sustainable development and the need to protect and preserve the 
environment.  
 
Noting  the role of trade in contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and 
environmental sustainability, including the fight against climate change, pollution and biodiversity 
loss. 
Recognizing  that the rising environmental, biodiversity, h ealth and economic costs of plastic pollution 
are a concern that increasingly unites all Members, and that the COVID -19 pandemic has only 
amplified these concerns.  
Recalling  the need for further commitment and actions across the life cycle of plastics to address 
marine litter and microplastics, including through a circular economy approach.  
Acknowledging  the impact that plastic pollution (including microplastics pollution) has on economies 
and the environment, including on oceans, coastal and terrestrial e nvironments, particularly on 
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which are especially vulnerable to environmental impacts, 
and recognizing the challenges that developing members and least developed Members face in 
addressing trade -related aspects of plas tics pollution, including in moving towards environmentally 
sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives and the role for multilateral trade cooperation 
in promoting good practices.  
Recalling  the inaugural statement (WT/CTE/W/250/Rev.1) and reaff irming our commitment to 
addressing the trade -related aspects of the plastic pollution challenge, including by supporting 
synergies between the WTO and other international organizations, in particular the Secretariats of 
Multilateral Environmental Agreemen ts and their related processes.  WT/MIN(21)/8  
 
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  Acknowledging  the many international, regional and domestic efforts, decisions and processes aimed 
at addressing the plastic pollution challenge in other fora, including, inter alia , the Basel Convention 
on the Control of Tr ansboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel 
Convention) and its Plastic Waste Amendments, and in the context of the United Nations 
Environment Assembly (UNEA), and highlighting the opportunities for enhanced cooperation among 
the di fferent processes working towards a common vision taking into account the importance to 
ensure complementarity and avoid duplication of efforts.  
Noting  that recent research by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 
indicates trade  in plastics accounts for as much as 5 % of global trade – or more than 1 trillion US 
dollars in 2019 – almost 40% higher than previously estimated, with more trade in plastics still 
unaccounted.  
Noting  the importance of work in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment as well as the 
synergies with other processes and initiatives at the WTO, and that work on this topic is a key part 
of broader WTO discussions to advance shared trade and environmental sustainability objectives.  
Recognizing  the contributio n of our discussions so far (as summarized in the IDP Factual Report – 
INF/TE/IDP/W/3), which covered all six topics initially agreed (WT/CTE/W/250/Rev.1)1, to provide a 
clearer picture of international, regional, and domestic efforts to reduce plastic po llution and 
transition to a more circular and environmentally sustainable global plastics economy , as well as 
synergies, and the opportunities and value -added nature of addressing trade dimensions of the topic.  
Noting the value and importance of proactive  engagement by a broad diversity of Members and 
relevant stakeholders, including, inter alia , international organizations and institutions, trade and 
environmental authorities and domestic bodies, the private sector, academia, and civil society.  
We have accordingly reached the following shared understandings:  
1. To intensify our work on areas of common interest with a view to identify ing actions that 
participating Members could take collectively to support global efforts to reduce plastics pollution.  
Inter alia , this includes:  
• Identifying ways to improve the understanding of global trade in plastics, including flows of 
plastics embedded in internationally traded goods or associated with them (such as plastic 
packaging), and enhance transparency regard ing trade policies relevant to reducing plastic 
pollution and more environmentally sustainable plastics trade.  
 
• Sharing experiences of effective approaches to move towards more circular, resource 
efficient and environmentally sustainable plastics trade.  
 
• Addressing trade -related capacity building and technical assistance needs of developing 
members, in particular least developed members and vulnerable SIDS, to support their 
efforts to:  
 
- move towards more circular plastics economies;  
- improve the environment ally sound management, recovery and recycling of plastics;  
- facilitate access to key technologies;  
- expand trade in environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and 
alternatives;  
- encourage collaboration with the relevant stakeholders through, inter alia , the 
exchange of knowledge and experience relating to the development of and access to 
environmentally sustainable and effective (including cost  and functionally effective ) 
substitutes and alternatives to single -use plastics;  
- develop and strengthen local capacities to produce environmentally sustainable and 
effective substitutes and alternatives to single -use plastics; and  
- design and implement trade policies to address plastic pollution.  
 
 
1 The six topics initially agreed were: improving transparency and monitoring trade trends; promoting 
best practices; strengthening policy coherence; identifying the scope for collective approaches; assessing 
capacity and technical assistance needs; and cooperating with other international processes and efforts.  WT/MIN(21)/8  
 
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  • Considering plastic pollution and env ironmentally sustainable plastics trade in Aid for Trade 
with environmentally sustainable objectives.  
 
2. We emphasize the importance of continu ing to engage and support actions in other 
international processes, including:  
• Enhancing cooperation with other international organizations in areas such as definitions, 
scope, standards, design and labelling for plastics (including plastic packaging) and capacity 
building that would promote a more environmentally sustainable plastics sector, including 
through relev ant international processes, and intensifying our work and continued 
cooperation on areas of common interest, such as the ongoing discussions towards a new 
global instrument on plastics at UNEA -5, the International Organization for Standardization 
(ISO) an d the Basel Convention.  
 
• Identifying effective trade policies or measures to support the implementation of actions 
under other international processes and efforts and strengthening cooperation and policy 
coherence within rules and mechanisms of the WTO.  
 
• Identifying actions needed to improve gathering of data on trade flows and supply chains, 
including by utilizing the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System 
(HS Convention) of the World Customs Organization or other trade instruments or 
standards , such as UN/CEFACT, and the flow of information about the chemical and material 
characteristics of plastic products traded internationally.  
 
3. To hold dedicated discussions with a view to identify best practices and share experiences 
regarding:  
• 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 that are not essential for medical or sanitary purposes, 
with special attention to issues and challenges arising for developing members.  
 
• How to promote trade in goods and services including the use of technologies that can reduce 
plastic pollution, such as: environmentally sustaina ble waste management technologies; 
environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives; and reused and 
recycled plastics, including by incentivizing increased reuse and recycling of plastics 
(considering evidence of their long -term impac ts), and identifying 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 pollutio n, and opportunities for their MSMEs.  
 
4. We invite other WTO Members to join this Ministerial Statement.  
5. We will continue to regularly update Members to ensure progress and cooperation on 
implementing actions of this Ministerial S tatement, and to info rm WTO Members about the IDP, 
including through the Committee on Trade and Environment.  
6. We will look for concrete, pragmatic, and effective outcomes on these actions and 
understandings at the latest by MC13.  
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