Asean must lead on plastics pollution crisis at treaty talks

THE plastics pollution crisis gripping South-East Asia cannot wait for global consensus. As nations prepare for the resumed Global Plastics Treaty talks in Geneva, Switzerland, beginning tomorrow, Asean governments must recognise that regional action has become not just desirable, but critical for protecting human rights and environmental integrity across the region.

While the resumed negotiations – the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, or INC-5.2 – are scheduled for for Aug 5 to 14, South-East Asian communities facing the daily reality of plastic pollution cannot afford to wait for global solutions that may be further delayed or weakened by competing national interests.