KATHMANDU, JULY 14
The multi-stakeholder workshop on the United Nations Plastic Treaty INC5.2, which was concluded in Kathmandu today, has emphasised raising the issues of plastic pollution to curb it.
Presenting a technical paper on the upcoming United Nations international plastic treaty, Ram Charitra Sah, Executive Director and Environmental Scientist at the Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED), emphasised the need for the government delegations to strongly raise various issues related to plastic in Nepal during an interaction held in Kathmandu today.
The programmed discussed the purpose of the treaty to eliminate plastic pollution, principles, its dimensions, technical aspects such as polymers and harmful chemicals, types of plastics that need to be banned, product design and efficiency, search for non-plastic alternatives, broader responsibilities of producers (Extended Producer Responsibility - EPR), waste production and emission and releases, proper waste management, plastic-related trade, transparency regarding chemicals, necessary sustainable economic and technical support, financial support and technology transfer, development and implementation of national action plans, compliance monitoring, and reporting, among other necessary provisions included in the treaty.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is hosting the fifth and final meeting of the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, including in the marine environment, from August 4 to 14, 2025, in INC5.2, Geneva, Switzerland, which aims to control emissions of air, water, and soil pollution generated from various activities throughout the entire life cycle of plastics, including the extraction of raw materials, production, distribution, use, proper waste management, reuse, recycling, and disposal, particularly targeting marine plastic pollution.
The government delegation has consistently attended the last five preparatory meetings since the beginning of the negotiation, and this time, they must make a strong demand for the appropriate inclusion and addressing of all stakeholders' issues, including environmental health and safety, plastic safety, and worker safety in the industry, according to experts.
They emphasised that the government delegation must advocate for treaties that include financing mechanisms for their effective implementation to be friendly, easily accessible, and made available to waste collection workers and local people, including those from low-income countries and governments, and establish an independent scientific review committee and ban toxic recycling.
They also highlighted that mountain countries must unite to include high mountain plastic pollution in the United Nations plastic convention. "A broader producer responsibility (EPR) based on zero waste must be adopted globally, and unconditional technical and financial support must be provided to developing countries to combat plastic pollution," they argued.
