Global Plastics Treaty process risks failing without significant reform, according to new research based on interviews with participants from the negotiations.
The report, released by the Global Plastics Policy Centre based at the University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics Institute, brings together three years of research into the UN negotiations towards a global treaty to end plastic pollution.
The research team attended every round of the negotiations and conducted 56 in-depth interviews with participants from governments, UN bodies, civil society, industry and academia, and conducted three focus groups involving 19 participants.
The report warns that pushing ahead with legal drafting before countries have found enough common ground can ‘significantly decrease’ the effectiveness of international decision-making processes.
The report also claims that unless the process is reset to rebuild trust, clarify direction and unlock political will, the world risks missing a ‘once-in-a-generation chance’ to tackle plastic pollution at its source.
The research comes as negotiations towards a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty remain in hiatus.
The next meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to elect the new Chair of the negotiation process, will take place this coming Saturday in Geneva following the failure to reach agreement in late 2025 and the resignation of the former Chair.
Commenting on the report, Dr Antaya March, Director of the Global Plastics Policy Centre, said: “Unfortunately, the process followed so far has not always facilitated opportunities to find agreement or prevent low ambition countries from blocking progress.”
“Our research also shows that these are not just technical negotiations, they are deeply human processes. Gruelling schedules, limited capacity in smaller delegations and the sheer complexity of the task all shape what is possible at the negotiating table.”
The report sets out a series of recommendations that include finding common ground, setting out a clear roadmap to the end of negotiations, and investing actively in rebuilding trust in the process.