India calls for clear principles to combat plastic pollution at Busan meet

India urged member states to develop clear principles and scope for a new international treaty on plastic pollution at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Busan, South Korea. The Indian delegation emphasised that this move would make the treaty effective and workable globally.

The environment ministry stated that the new treaty should not overlap with existing multilateral environmental agreements like the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, and international bodies such as the World Trade Organisation. “This approach would allow negotiations to focus on areas not covered by existing instruments or bodies, specifically addressing plastic pollution,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Indian delegation highlighted the need for the new treaty to be understood, implemented, and evaluated based on the Rio Declaration principle, which emphasises the connection between long-term economic growth and environmental conservation.

The 1992 Rio Declaration principle holds that although all countries are responsible for the development of global society, each has a different set of capabilities that they can contribute to reducing environmental degradation.

The Basel convention adopted in 1989 aimed to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous waste and other waste requiring special consideration. Likewise, the purpose of the Rotterdam Convention of 1998 is to facilitate informed decision-making by countries with regard to trade in hazardous chemicals. The 2004 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a global treaty that aims to protect the environment and human health from the effects of dangerous, long-lasting chemicals.

The INC-5 meeting is being held from November 25 to December 1 in Busan, Republic of Korea.