Preventing, controlling and managing pollution is central to improving health, human well-being and prosperity for all.
UNEP drives capacity and leadership in sound management of chemicals and waste while working to improve ways to reduce waste through circularity and pollutants released to the air, water, soil and the ocean.
In this short video, learn about different types of international agreements and how they shape global relations, from political frameworks like the Stockholm Declaration to legally binding conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. You will find out the key distinctions, criteria, and processes that make these agreements essential for global cooperation and environmental protection.
On the opening day of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, negotiators approved the use of the INC Chair’s non-paper as the foundation to facilitate negotiations.
INC-5, which takes place from 25 November to 1 December, aims to finalize and approve the text of the instrument.
More than 3,800 participants have registered to participate in INC-5—the highest number of the five meetings—representing more than 170 countries and over 600 Observer organizations.
Follow the INC-5 negotiations live.
“For too long, we have kicked the plastic bottle down the road,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres said in a video message urging negotiators to deliver an ambitious, credible, and just plastics treaty to end plastic pollution for a healthier and more prosperous future for people and planet.
Today sees the beginning 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) in Busan, Republic of Korea.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year.
The 4th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) wrapped up on Saturday with the adoption of the Jeddah Commitments, which lay out practical, actionable and cross-sectoral steps stakeholders can take to address this complex health issue.
Welcoming the adoption of the Jeddah Commitments, Jacqueline Alvarez, head of UNEP’s Chemicals and Health Branch, said the outcome document is an example of successful multilateralism and “the benefits of working jointly among the different sectors”.
She added: “The Jeddah Commitments bring everybody that has a role to play together for action.”
On 25 November, 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) will start in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The hope is that an agreement will be reached that is based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal. With plastics causing 3.4 per cent of global emissions in 2019, it is vital that progress is made in Busan.
The world wants a deal on plastic pollution, UNEP’s Executive Secretary Inger Andersen said at the UN climate summit (COP29) in Baku last week.
“Because plastic pollution is causing huge harm to the natural systems on which we all depend. And it may well be harming people, as plastics loaded with chemicals increasingly enter our bloodstreams.”
Andersen highlighted the importance of the final round of negotiations on a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution which start in Busan this week.
The 4th Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 15-16 November in Jeddah, including a day of side-events on 14 November for state and non-state actors.
Under the theme “From Declaration to Implementation – Accelerating Actions Through Multisectoral Partnerships for the Containment of AMR” the conference will provide a platform for exchange of best practices and pave the road to implementation across the entire ecosystems, including human- and animal health, agriculture as well as the environment.
