Boutros Ghali Foundation hails UN decision on reducing plastic use

CAIRO, May 14 (MENA) - Honorary President of Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge Lia Boutros Ghali and President of the Foundation Mamdouh Abbas have praised the decision by 180 countries in their recent meeting in Geneva to reduce the use of plastics by 2030.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge said the UN decision benefits human rights which are topped by the right to live in a clean environment especially after plastic wastes have become a rising danger on human health.

The UN Environment Assembly member countries have pledged to "significantly reduce" the use of plastics by 2030.

A series of other commitments were also signed, including ones to reduce food wastage and to consult with indigenous populations over the development of new regulations.

The assembly is the world's top international environment body, and the pledge will set the tone for the UN's Climate Action Summit in September.

The final ministerial statement made only two references to man-made global warming, however, and none to the damage caused by fossil fuels that drive it.

Over eight million tonnes of plastic enter the world's oceans each year.