UNITED
NATIONSEP
UNEP/EA.5/L.23/Rev.1
Distr.: Limited
2 March 2022
English only

United Nations
Environment Assembly of theUnited Nations Environment
Programme
United Nations Environment Assembly of theUnited Nations Environment Programme
Fifth session
Nairobi (hybrid), 22–26 February 2021
and 28 February–2 March 2022

Draft resolution
End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding
instrument*
The United Nations Environment Assembly,
Noting with concern that the high and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution represent a
serious environmental problem at a global scale, negatively impacting the environmental, social andeconomic dimensions of sustainable development,
Recognizing that plastic pollution includes microplastics,
Further noting with concern the specific impacts of plastic pollution on the marine
environment,
Further noting that plastic pollution, in marine and other environments, can be of atransboundary nature and needs to be tackled, together with its impacts through a full lifecycle
approach taking into account national circumstances and capabilities,
Reaffirming United Nations General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, bywhich the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
Reaffirming also the principles of the Rio Declaration on environment and development
adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992,
Stressing the urgent need to strengthen the science-policy interface at all levels, improveunderstanding of the global impact of plastic pollution on the environment, and promote effective andprogressive actions at the local, regional and global level, recognizing the important role of plastics forsociety,
Recalling United Nations Environment Assembly resolutions 1/6, 2/11, 3/7, 4/6, 4/7 and 4/9
and affirming the urgent need to strengthen global coordination, cooperation and governance to take
immediate actions towards the long-term elimination of plastic pollution, in marine and otherenvironments, and of avoiding detriment from plastic pollution to ecosystems and the humanactivities dependent on them,
Recognizing the wide range of approaches, sustainable alternatives and technologies to address
the full life-cycle of plastics further highlighting the need for enhanced international collaboration to*K2200647

The present text is an advance version and has not been formally edited.

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UNEP/EA.5/L.23/Rev.1

facilitate access to technology, capacity building and scientific and technical cooperation andunderlining that there is no single approach,
Underlining the importance of promoting sustainable design of products and materials so thatthey can be reused, remanufactured or recycled and therefore retained in the economy for as long as
possible along with the resources they are made of, as well as minimizing the generation of waste,
which can significantly contribute to sustainable production and consumption of plastics,
Welcoming efforts made by governments and international organizations, in particular throughnational, regional and international action plans, initiatives and instruments, including relevant
multilateral agreements, such as G7 and G20 initiatives including the action plans of 2015 and 2017
addressing marine litter, Osaka Blue Ocean Vision, G20 Implementation Framework, Ocean Plastics
Charter, the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris and the Bangkok Declaration on
Combating Marine Debris, the APEC Roadmap on Marine Debris and to reduce plastic andmicroplastic pollution, the AOSIS Leaders Declaration of 2021, and St Johns Declaration of Caricom,
the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal, and the outcome of the Ministerial Conference on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution in
2021, and recognizing the need for complementary actions and a coherent and coordinated long-term
global vision,
Noting with appreciation the significant work of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter andactions to tackle marine litter and plastic pollution supported and implemented by the United Nations
Environment Programme, and taking into account the chair's summary of the ad hoc open-ended expert
group on marine litter and microplastics, which presents potential options for continued work forconsideration by UNEA- 5,
Reaffirming the importance of cooperation, coordination and complementarity among relevant
regional and international conventions and instruments, while respecting their respective mandates, toprevent plastic pollution and its related risks to human health and adverse effects on human well-being
and the environment, including the 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
Ships and its 1978 Protocol, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements ofHazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, theRotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain Hazardous Chemicals andPesticides in International Trade, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 1972
Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matters and its
1996 Protocol, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as amonginternational organizations, regional instruments and programmes and recognizing efforts led by nongovernmental organizations and the private sector,
Further recognizing that each country is best positioned to understand its own national
circumstances, including its stakeholder activities, related to addressing plastic pollution, including in
the marine environment,
Recognizing the significant contribution made by workers under informal and cooperative
settings to collecting, sorting and recycling plastics in many countries,
Underlining that further international action is needed by developing an international legallybinding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment,
1.
Requests the Executive Director to convene an intergovernmental negotiating
committee, commencing its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its
work by the end of 2024;
2.
Acknowledges that some legal obligations arising out of a new international legallybinding instrument will require capacity building and technical and financial assistance in order to beeffectively implemented by developing countries and countries with economies in transition;
3.
Decides that the intergovernmental negotiating committee is to develop aninternational legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment
henceforth referred to as the instrument, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches,
based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, taking into accountamong other things, the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, as well as
national circumstances and capabilities, including provisions:(a)2

To specify the objectives of the instrument;

UNEP/EA.5/L.23/Rev.1(b)

To promote sustainable production and consumption of plastics, including,among others, product design, and environmentally sound waste management,
including through resource efficiency and circular economy approaches;(c)

To promote national and international cooperative measures to reduce plastic
pollution in the marine environment, including existing plastic pollution;(d)

To develop, implement and update national action plans reflecting
country-driven approaches to contribute to the objectives of the instrument;(e)

To promote national action plans to work towards the prevention, reductionand elimination of plastic pollution, and to support regional and international
cooperation;(f)

To specify national reporting, as appropriate;(g)

To periodically assess the progress of implementation of the instrument;(h)

To periodically assess the effectiveness of the instrument in achieving its
objectives;(i)

To provide scientific and socio-economic assessments related to plastic
pollution;(j)

To increase knowledge through awareness-raising, education and informationexchange;(k)

To promote cooperation and coordination with relevant regional andinternational conventions, instruments and organizations, while recognizing
their respective mandates, avoiding duplication, and promoting
complementarity of action;(l)

To encourage action by all stakeholders, including the private sector, and topromote cooperation at the global, regional, national and local levels;(m)

To initiate a multi-stakeholder action agenda;(n)

To specify arrangements for capacity-building and technical assistance,technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, and financial assistance,
recognizing that the effective implementation of some legal obligations under
the instrument is dependent on the availability of capacity building andtechnical and adequate financial assistance;(o)

To promote research and development of sustainable, affordable, innovativeand cost-efficient approaches;(p)

To address compliance;

4.
Also decides that the intergovernmental negotiating committee, in its deliberations on
the instrument, consider the following:(a)

Obligations, measures, and voluntary approaches in supporting theachievements of the objectives of the instrument;(b)

The need for a financial mechanism to support the implementation of the
instrument, including the option of a dedicated multilateral fund;(c)Flexibility that some provisions could allow countries discretion in
implementation of their commitments taking into account the national
circumstances;(d)

The best available science, traditional knowledge, knowledge of indigenous
peoples and local knowledge systems;(e)Lessons learned and best practices, including those from informal andcooperative settings;(f)

The possibility of a mechanism to provide policy relevant scientific andsocio-economic information and assessment related to plastic pollution;(g)

Efficient organization and streamlined secretariat arrangements;(h)Consider any other aspects that the intergovernmental negotiating committee
may consider relevant;3

UNEP/EA.5/L.23/Rev.1

5.
Requests the Executive Director to convene an ad-hoc open-ended working group to
hold one meeting during the first half of 2022 to prepare for the work of the intergovernmental
negotiating committee in particular to discuss the timetable and organization of work of theintergovernmental negotiating committee, taking into account the provisions and elements identified inparagraphs 3 and 4 of the present resolution;
6.
Stresses the need to ensure the widest possible and effective participation in the ad-hoc
open-ended working group meeting and the intergovernmental negotiating committee;
7.
Requests the Executive Director as a priority action to provide the necessary support todeveloping countries and countries with economies in transition to allow for effective participation in
the work of the ad-hoc open-ended working group meeting and the intergovernmental negotiating
committee;
8.
Also requests the Executive Director to ensure the necessary support of the UNEP
Secretariat to the intergovernmental negotiating committee and the ad-hoc open-ended working group;
9.
Decides that participation in the ad-hoc open-ended working group and theintergovernmental negotiating committee should be open to all Member States of the United Nations
and Members of its specialized agencies, to regional economic integration organizations, as well as
relevant stakeholders, consistent with applicable United Nations rules;
10.
Invites governments and other stakeholders in a position to do so to provide extra
budgetary resources to help to support the implementation of the present resolution;
11.
Requests the Executive Director to facilitate the participation of and close cooperationand coordination with relevant regional and international instruments and initiatives and all relevant
stakeholders in the context of the mandate of the intergovernmental negotiating committee;
12.
Also requests the Executive Director to convene a diplomatic conference ofplenipotentiaries upon completion of negotiations in the intergovernmental negotiating committee, forthe purpose of adopting and opening for signature the instrument;
13.
Further requests the Executive Director to report on progress on the work of theintergovernmental negotiating committee to the 6th session of UNEA;
14.
Requests the Executive Director to continue to support and advance the work of the
Global Partnership on Marine Litter, while strengthening scientific, technical and technologicalknowledge with regard to plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, inter alia, on
methodologies for monitoring, and sharing available scientific and other relevant data and information;
15.
Calls upon all Member States to continue and step up activities and adopt voluntarymeasures to combat plastic pollution, including measures related to sustainable consumption andproduction, which may include circular economy approaches, and developing and implementing
national action plans, while fostering international action and initiatives under respective national
regulatory frameworks, and also on a voluntary basis to provide statistical information on
environmentally sound management of plastic waste, as appropriate, taking into account their national
circumstances;
16.
Requests the Executive Director, subject to the availability of financial resources, toconvene a forum in conjunction with the first session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee,building upon existing initiatives, where appropriate, that is open to all stakeholders to exchange
information and activities related to plastic pollution.

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