The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) convened on the Shaw Middle in Ottawa, Canada to develop a legally binding treaty to regulate plastic air pollution, together with within the marine surroundings. Small Island Creating States (SIDS), together with Member States of the Organisation of Jap Caribbean States (OECS), are making their voices heard at these high-level conferences going down between April 23 and 29.
The OECS has joined the decision of worldwide negotiators for an bold, complete, and all-encompassing United Nations treaty on plastics that addresses points associated to the entire lifecycle of plastics. Dr. Joyelle Trizia Clarke, Minister with accountability for Sustainable Growth, Atmosphere and Local weather Motion, and Consultancy Empowerment in St. Kitts and Nevis, mentioned to the delegates: “SIDS are thought of the ethical conscience and international voice on local weather. The push for 1.5 to remain alive, the advocacy for the loss and harm fund led by Antigua and AOSIS have to be dropped at bear right here on this dialog on plastics.”
It has been reported by the United Nations Atmosphere Programme (UNEP) that between 70 to 95 p.c of marine litter within the Caribbean Sea is from land-based sources, principally plastics. This highlights the urgency of coping with plastic air pollution, particularly for island nations. Moreover, many waste and air pollution points are transboundary, which signifies that poor management and administration in a single nation negatively impacts neighbouring international locations, probably derailing their efforts at transitioning to blue economies.
This air pollution not solely destroys the marine ecosystem but additionally impacts the financial actions of human beings relying on pure sources, which turns into a hurdle in the way in which of transitioning to sustainable blue economies.
In her tackle to assembly delegates, Dr. Clarke additional outlined what SIDS aspire to within the negotiations. She acknowledged that there ought to be “elevated, amplified, and visual motion on banning dangerous plastics, simply transition pathways, which may be shared and scaled up and constructed out in a approach that honors and edifies native ingenuity. We should additionally bear dedication to co-designing, co-creating our stake, and co-determining our stake in a resilient future the place every life and livelihood is protected and revered.”
In February 2022, on the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Atmosphere Meeting, a historic decision (5/14) was adopted to develop a world legally binding instrument on plastic air pollution, together with air pollution within the marine surroundings, with the ambition to finish the negotiations by the top of 2024, and a strong monetary mechanism, which advances simply transition and offers particular help provisions for SIDS.
As these negotiations proceed on the INC-4, the OECS Fee is represented by Susanna Scott, Officer in Cost of the Sustainable Ocean Administration Programme, and Farzana Yusuf-Leon, Technical Officer. The crew is hoping that there will probably be, on the core of the mechanism, a ban on dangerous plastics and a pathway for a simply transition to safe a sustainable future for folks and our planet.
