Plastics Treaty INC-5.2 “Offisize Buzz”
A compilation of resources and activities – including conferences, receptions, artistic and cultural demonstrations – taking place in the margins of INC-5.2 can be accessed here.
About the International Negotiating Committee to Develop a Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution Process
For several years, plastic pollution has been a major issue raised at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and other global fora.
In March 2022, a historical resolution was adopted at the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly – End plastic pollution: towards an international legally binding instrument (UNEA 5/14), recognizing that “the high and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution represent a serious environmental problem at a global scale, negatively impacting the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development”. It mandated the UN Environment Programme Executive Director to convene an International Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop and adopt a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastics.
Pre INC-5.2 Sessions
The first five meetings for the development of the international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution took place in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2), is scheduled to take place from 5 to 14 August 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The resumed session will be preceded by regional consultations on 4 August 2025.
Registration
The deadline for for Members of the Committee and Media has been extended to 30 June 2025, 23:59 EAT (22:59 CEST).
The deadline for observer organizations was 6 June 2025.
The INC Secretariat has announced that there will be no on-site registration.
Regional Consultations
Regional consultations include:
Informal in-person meeting of Heads of Delegation (HoD) to the INC
The INC Chair has invited Member States of the United Nations, members of UN specialized agencies, and regional economic integration organizations to attend an informal in-person meeting of Heads of Delegation (HODs) to the INC, scheduled for 30 June to 2 July 2025 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya. The informal in-person meeting of Heads of Delegation will be preceded by regional consultations on 29 June 2025. → Note from the Chair
Preparatory Events
Ahead of INC-5.2, actors from Geneva and beyond are mobilized through the organization of events and webinars to gather expertise and share the most advanced scientific knowledge.
Key Events and Activities in the Run-up to INC-5.2
On the Road to INC-5.2, key events and activities will take place in the context of related negotiations and events, including:
- 2025 Meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (2025 BRS COPs) | 28 April – 9 May 2025
- Ministerial Breakfast on Plastic INC hosted by UNEP Executive Director | 1 May 2025 | Geneva Room, Varambé Centre
- 78th World Health Assembly | 19 – 27 May 2025 | Linking plastic pollution to public health concerns
- Executive Briefing on Plastic Pollution INC-5.2 | 27 May 2025
- World Environment Day | 5 June 2025
- The World Environment Day annual celebration, focusing on the theme “Putting an End to Global Plastic Pollution”, took place from 09:00 to 12:00 CEST at the International Environment House II around key moments including a breakfast offered by the host country, the GENeva World Environment Day Forum and the World Environment Day Dialogue.
Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues
Through the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues, the Geneva Environment Network and its partners support actors in the Geneva community and beyond, that are engaged in the INC process and other processes tackling plastic pollution. Ahead INC-5, the co-conveners of the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues organized events relevant to the upcoming negotiations.
Other Sessions Ahead of INC-5.2
- Towards a Strong Global Plastics Treaty: Legal Obligations and Strategic Pathways | 3 August 2025 | Hôtel Novotel Genève Centre
- Local and Subnational Governments Coalition to End Plastic Pollution Reception | 3 August 2025 | Villa Rigot
- Kids’ Virtual Plastic Pollution Act-Athon | Action Network | 25 June 2025 | 20:00 CEST
- Cultivating change: Agri-plastics and the global policy response | FAO Liaison Office in Geneva & FAO’s Office of Climate Change and Biodiversity | 19 June 2025 from 15:00 CEST
- Tackling Agricultural Plastics for a Circular Future | UNEP in collaboration with the One Planet Network, International Ecosystem Management Partnership, Green Growth Knowledge Partnership and FARM programme | 17 June 2025 from 14:00 CEST
- How EPR Systems Can Be Leveraged to Boost Sustainability | Global Action Partnership for Extended Producer Responsibility | 3 June 2025 | 10 CEST
- GPML World Environment Day Webinar: Pre-Launch of the Global Plastics Hub | Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML) | 29 May 2025 | 14:00 – 15:30 CEST
- WBG-UNITAR Webinar: Unlocking Private Investment through EPR | WBG & UNITAR | 29 May 2025
- Towards a Strong Global Plastics Treaty: Legal Obligations and Strategic Pathways | Gallifrey Foundation, EIA, UNODC, Ocean Vision Legal | 21 May 2025 | 10:00 – 11:00 CEST | Zoom
- Chemical transparency information and its traceability in products and articles, with a focus on POPs and chemicals in plastics | Health and Environment Justice Support | 7 May 2025 | 18:15 – 19:45 CEST | CICG, Room 2 & Online
- New strategies for dealing with microplastics as a potential threat to humans and the natural environment | Russian Federation | 7 May 2025 | 18:15 – 19:45 CEST | CICG, Room 14 & Online
- Plastics Chemicals of Concern and the Role of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and Youth as Drivers of Change in the Future Plastics Treaty | AKO Foundation with Environment Youth Action Network (EYAN), Environmental Protection Agency- Ghana, African Youth Alliance for Chemicals and waste (AYACW), Global Environment Facility (GEF), International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN Youth) and GEN | 8 May 2025 | 13:15–14:45 CEST | CICG, Room B & Online
- Preventing Plastic and E-Waste Trafficking: Lessons from the Frontlines | 2025 BRS COPs Side Event | 4 May 2025 | CICG, Room 2 & online | 18:15 – 19:45 CEST
- Empowering Education and Effective Capacity Building to Tackle Plastic Pollution | 2025 BRS COPs Side Event | 4 May 2025 | CICG, Exhibition Area | 18:15 – 19:45 CEST
- Plastic Pollution and Transparency in Trade Flows in the Context Multilateral Environmental Agreements and the Protection of the Environment and Health | BRS COPs Side Event | 2 May 2025 | CICG, Exhibition Area | 13:15 – 14:45 CEST
- From hidden threats to visible actions: Addressing POPs and Nano/Microplastic Waste | 2025 BRS COPs Side Event | 30 April 2025 | CICG, Room 2 | 18:15 – 19:45 CEST
- Discussion on the urgent need to regulate chemical use in plastic to protect human and planetary health | Minderoo Foundation | Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue | 30 April 2025 | 18.30 CEST.
- Addressing chemicals of concern in plastics: Pathways to protection of the environment and human health in the plastics treaty | Mexico, Switzerland, TESS | 29 April 2025 | Domaine de La Pastorale & online | 13:30 to 14:30 CEST.
- Bootcamp on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) for YOUth (Recording of the events available)
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Reshaping the Future of Plastics | World Bank Global Environment Department, UNITAR, PROBLUE | 10 April 2025 | 14:00 CEST
- Turning the Tide on Plastic Pollution in the Mediterranean: From Knowledge to Action | IUCN | 1 April 2025 | 13:15 – 14:45 CEST
- SIDS Talk Ocean webinar series: “Special Circumstances of SIDS in International Law‘ | AOSIS | 27 March 2025 | 20:00 CET
Artwork @ INC-5.2
From 4 to 14 August 2025, renowned environmental artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong—creator of the Giant Plastic Tap at UNEA 5.2—will be in Geneva to build his latest large-scale art installation, drawing attention to the health implications of plastic pollution. At INC-5.2, he will be creating a sculptural remix of Rodin’s iconic The Thinker—a man seated on the back of Mother Earth. Wrapped around them both is a giant DNA strand, the core building block of life. Each day of the negotiations, plastic waste will be added to the installation, gradually engulfing both the figure and the Earth—visibly illustrating the rising environmental and human cost of delay. Over time, the DNA strand will also begin to warp and discolor—a subtle reference to how the chemicals in plastics are slowly altering the biological fabric of life.
Benjamin is currently seeking to engage both the private and public sectors to help bring this ambitious project to life. If you would like to get involved—or know someone who might—please reach out via this form.
As a global hub for environmental governance, in particular for chemicals and waste issue, Geneva hosts many organizations whose work is highly relevant for the development of a new instrument on plastic pollution. Learn more about the organizations active in Geneva to tackle the plastic crisis through our Plastics and the Environment special section on “Addressing the Plastic Crisis from Geneva”. As we head towards INC-5.2, we will highlight documents and resources related to Geneva’s contribution to the meeting as well as activities organized around INC-5.2.
Additional Resources and News Ahead of INC-5.2
- Campaigners Welcome ‘Wake-Up Call’ For Global Plastics Treaty | Forbes | 11 June 2025
- UNOC-3 : 95 pays signent l’Appel de Nice pour un Traité ambitieux sur les plastiques | France | 10 June 2025
- “Nice Declaration” for an ambitious plastics treaty: the wake up call the world needs | Greenpeace International | 10 June 2025
- France’s “wake up call” for an ambitious global plastic pollution treaty is welcome but it can only be realised by moving beyond consensus | WWF International | 10 June 2025
- Don’t Back Down | Civil Society and Rights-Holders Coalition for a Plastics Treaty | 10 June 2025
- Countries Recommit to Red Lines Ahead of Upcoming Global Plastics Treaty Talks: A Nice Wake Up Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty provides more granular detail on how countries will deliver an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty | CIEL | 10 June 2025
- Assessment of tire-derived additives and their metabolites into fruit, root and leafy vegetables and evaluation of dietary intake in Swiss adults | Florian Breider, Thibault Masset, Kelyan Prud’homme, Beat J. Brüschweiler | Journal of Hazardous Materials | 15 August 2025
- Getting to Yes on the Plastics Agreement: Time for More Plasticity? | Sue Biniaz, Daniel Bodansky & Maria Ivanova | Just Security | 9 June 2025
- The economic rationale for a Global Plastics Treaty underpinned by mandatory and harmonised regulation | Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty | 5 June 2025
- A Call to Protect Human and Environmental Health in Southeast and East Asia. A Regional Statement on the Microplastics Crisis | IPEN | 5 June 2025
- Pathways to an Effective Plastics Treaty | GAIA | 5 June 2025
- The world of plastic | Alliance Magazine | 5 June 2025
- TESS Celebrates World Environment Day 2025 | TESS | 5 June 2025
- World Environment Day: UN sounds alarm on plastic pollution crisis | UN News | 4 June 2025
- How one Korean province is aiming to make plastic pollution history | UNEP | 3 June 2025
- Everything you should know about microplastics | UNEP | 2 June 2025
- Plastic-Associated Chemicals: Late Lessons from Early Equilibrium Partitioning Science | Heather A. Leslie, Annika Jahnke, Elisa Rojo-Nieto, Hans Peter H. Arp | Environmental Science & Technology | 2 June 2025
- Chemical Recycling: More Pollution? Or a Sustainability Solution for Plastic? | The Debate | May/June 2025
- Conflict of Interest in the Global Plastics Treaty | CIEL | May 2025
- By making producers part of the solution, France aims to rein in plastic pollution | UNEP | 29 May 2025
- Key Players and Positions in the Global Plastic Treaty Negotiations | Austin Jenish | Earth.Org | 28 May 2025
- Amid efforts to end plastic pollution, millions of waste pickers become a focus | UNEP | 26 May 2025
- Effective progress and implementation of the INC-5 plastics treaty through scientific guidance | Margaret Spring, Patrick Schröder, Anda Popovici, Noreen O’Meara, Ilaria Corsi, et al. | Nature Sustainability | 23 May 2025
- The Health Crisis That Could Make or Break the UN Plastics Treaty | Health Policy Watch | 22 May 2025
- How data is helping cities counter plastic pollution | UNEP | 21 May 2025
- Unpacking the Plastic Value Chain: Litigation Risks and Legal Implications | Planet Tracker | 19 May 2025
- Rallying for an ambitious global plastics treaty | One Earth | 16 May 2025
- Plastics: Exposing Their Climate Impacts, What we know, what need to know, & recommendations for research and policy | The Plastics and Climate Project, the Environmental Law Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium and University of Wollongong | May 2025
- Health impacts of exposure to synthetic chemicals in food | Jane Muncke, Mathilde Touvier, Leonardo Trasande & Martin Scheringer | Nature Medicine | 16 May 2025
- Preventing corporate capture: Democratic legitimacy and the global plastics treaty | Rob Ralston, Bethanie Carney Almroth,
Rachel Radvany, et al. | One Earth | 16 May 2025 - Starch-based bioplastic may be as toxic as petroleum-based plastic, study finds | The Guardian | 13 May 2025
- How (Not) to Make a Plastic Treaty: Nothing is Agreed Until Everything is Agreed | Plastisphere | 8 May 2025
- Plastics companies know about chemical recycling’s shortcomings — but still sell it as a solution | Grist | 8 May 2025
- This commonly used plastic chemical caused 350,000 heart disease-related deaths in 1 year | Grist | 6 May 2025
- Identifying gaps in systems-based plastic pollution literature | Nature Sustainability | 2 May 2025
- Global Plastics Diplomacy Briefing | May 2025
- A final push to end plastic pollution | UNEP | 1 May 2025
- Cook Islands calls for ban on harmful chemicals in plastics to protect Pacific | Cook Islands News | 1 May 2025
- What are the health impacts of plastic? | Yale Climate Connections | 1 May 2025
- Phthalate exposure from plastics and cardiovascular disease: global estimates of attributable mortality and years life lost | Sara Hyman, Jonathan Acevedo, Chiara Giannarelli, Leonardo Trasande | eBioMedicine | 29 April 2025
- Study finds every tested plastic toy contains chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive disorders | Daily Nations | 24 April 2025
- The journey from INC-5.1 to 5.2 | Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty | 23 April 2025
- Scientists sound alarm after making disturbing discovery while studying human brains: ‘This stuff is increasing in our world exponentially’ | Kritiksha Sharma | Yahoo News | 14 April 2025
- GAIA Comments on the Chair’s Text | GAIA | April 2025
- Complexities of the global plastics supply chain revealed in a trade-linked material flow analysis | Khaoula Houssini, Jinhui Li & Quanyin Tan | Communications Earth & Environment | 10 April 2025
- What Are Microplastics Doing in our Body? This Lab is Racing to Find Out | New York Times | 8 April 2025
- Plastic pellet losses: Council and Parliament agree on new rules to reduce microplastic pollution | European Council | 8 April 2025
- Countdown to INC-5.2: The final push for a Global Plastics Treaty | Minderoo Foundation
- Source, fate and effects of plastic litters in the European land-sea continuum | Environmental Science and Pollution Research | 7 April 2025
- ASEAN’s Position in Plastic Treaty Negotiations: Paper Tiger, Plastic Dragon? | Yuyun Ismawati and Wong Pui Yi | The Diplomat | 4 April 2025
- Fracking for Plastics: Exposing the Supply Chain Behind the Global Plastic Crisis | Stand.earth Research Group (SRG) and CIEL | 3 April 2025
- Microplastics could be hotspots for antimicrobial resistance | Advance Science News | 3 April 2025
- Impacts of spilled debris from the X-Press Pearl disaster in Sri Lanka on marine plankton | Sinja Rist, Kevin Ugwu, Marta Sampalo, Therese M. Karlsson et al. | Environmental Research | 1 March 2025
- Unmasking the Myth of Sustainable Waste Management | Yuyun Ismawati Drwiega | 31 March 2025
- Coca-Cola’s Annual Plastic Footprint Forecasted to Grow to 9.1 Billion Pounds by 2030 | Oceana | 26 March 2025
- Danone’s aborted energy from waste project on Bali highlights need for plastics treaty | Reuters | 25 March 2025
- Survey: Policymakers concerned over health risks of plastics, see production cuts as solution| Greenpeace | 24 March 2025
- Setting the Stage for INC-5.2 | EIA | 20 March 2025
- Plastic Banks. Assessing European Retail Banks’ Attitude Towards Plastic Risk | Planet Tracker | 20 March 2025
- Invite-only meeting revives hope for a global plastic treaty | Luxembourg Times | 20 March 2025
- Indigenous Peoples fight to be heard at plastics treaty talks | Dialogue Earht | 20 March 2025
- Plastic’s dirty secret – it’s making climate change worse | Greenpeace | 19 March 2025
- Reinventing the meaning of plastic pollution is not the solution | Torbjørn Graff Hugo | Medium | 19 March 2025
- North Sea collision plastic pollution clean-up is a “race against time” | oceonographic | 19 March 2025
- Microplastic within humans now a health crisis: Interview with ‘Plastic People’ filmmakers | 9 Mar 2025
- Chewing gum is plastic pollution, not a litter problem | David Jones, School of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Portsmouth | The Conversation | 17 March 2025
- Human health evidence in the global treaty to end plastic pollution: a survey of policy perspectives | Megan Deeney, Joe Yates,
Suneetha Kadiyala, Xavier Cousin et al. | Cambridge Prisms: Plastics| 7 March 2025 - Addressing the toxic chemicals problem in plastics recycling | Bethanie Carney Almroth, Eric Carmona, Nnaemeka Chukwuone et al. | Cambridge Prisms: Plastics | 16 January 2025
- Addressing Chemicals of Concern in Plastics through Multilateral Environmental Agreements | Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions | November 2024
- Plastic Treaty Must Haves| WWF International