Daily Times

Negotiators have failed to reach agreement on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution, the diplomat chairing the talks said Sunday, calling for additional time to continue discussions.

Nearly 200 nations are in South Korea’s Busan for negotiations that are supposed to result in a landmark accord after two years of discussions. But a week of talks has failed to resolve deep divisions between “high-ambition” countries seeking a globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals, and “like-minded” nations who want to focus on waste. A draft text released Sunday afternoon after multiple delays included a wide range of options, making clear the ongoing level of disagreement. When an open plenary session finally convened late Sunday night, chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso said progress had been made. But he acknowledged “we must also recognise that a few critical issues still prevent us from reaching a comprehensive agreement.” “These unresolved issues remain challenging and additional time will be needed to address them effectively,” he said. “There is a general agreement to resume the current session at a later date to conclude our negotiations.”

His comments reflected earlier calls from delegates for a follow-up to the so-called INC5 talks given the ongoing divisions. “If you ask me… we stop, we adapt the paper as it is and we try to do another session,” Senegal’s Cheikh Sylla told AFP. That would offer time “to bring the positions closer together, and at this session 5.2, we can reach an agreement that is balanced”.