Egypt participates in 4th session of UN talks on draft text of 1st legally binding agreement on plastic pollution

CAIRO – 3 May 2024: An Egyptian delegation from the Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs participated in the Ottawa-held fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding convention on plastic pollution.

The delegation is chaired by Tarek Al Arabi, CEO of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority (WMRA) at the Ministry of Environment, according to a statement issued by the Ministry on Friday.

Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad said, in the statement, that Egypt has taken national steps in this field, including issuing the waste management law, which has an article preventing single-use plastic bags.

Furthermore, the Ministry prepared a national strategy to reduce single-use plastic bags, by supporting the search for the best sustainable practices and applications.

Fouad noted that adopting the draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution will provide the basis for a round of discussions regarding the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and human health, besides the economic repercussions on the plastic industry.

For his part, Al-Arabi said that the agreement will help the world change the pattern of production and consumption of the plastic industry, as well as the mechanisms for dealing with the entire plastic cycle in accordance with the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution UNEA-5/14, from production to final disposal.

During the fourth session, the participating delegates discussed emissions, waste, production, product perception, waste management, plastics, problems, financing, and a just transition.