August 11, 2025

The UN talks happening in Geneva to create a strong treaty against plastic pollution are hitting a big snag. After four days of negotiation, 184 countries are struggling to agree on how far the treaty should go. Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the talk's chairperson from Ecuador, said clearly, "Progress made has not been sufficient." He warned the delegates that they must speed up, adding, "A real push to achieve our common goal is needed." The big deadline on Thursday is not just a date—it’s a must for delivering a deal. The main fight is between two big groups: some countries want the treaty only to focus on how to manage plastic waste. But others want a braver deal that also cuts plastic production and bans the most harmful chemicals. Because the UN needs all the countries to agree, this has become a high-stakes game of brinkmanship. A diplomatic source revealed that many surprise meetings were planned even on Sunday’s off day to try to break the deadlock. The source said, "If nothing changes, we won't get there." The draft treaty text itself has exploded from 22 pages to 35 pages and the number of unresolved issues quadrupled to nearly 1,500 bracketed points. Each country is inserting their own strong wishes, causing a big mess. Some big oil-producing countries like Kuwait, speaking for the 'Like-Minded Group,' want no limits on plastic production. Kuwait said, "Let us agree on what we can agree. Consensus must be the basis of all our decisions." Saudi Arabia, for the Arab Group, urged to drop parts of the text unlikely to be agreed upon. But countries like Uruguay disagreed, warning that "consensus cannot be used as a justification to not achieve our objectives." Eirik Lindebjerg from the World Wide Fund for Nature criticized the Like-Minded Group’s plan as "another attempt to make it a waste management agreement" and to block efforts to reduce plastic production. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) leads these talks. UNEP’s executive director, Inger Andersen, remained hopeful, saying, "A deal was really within our grasp, even though today it might not look so." She added, "There is a pathway to success." However, Bjorn Beeler from IPEN warned sharply, "We're sleepwalking towards a cliff and if we don't wake up, we're falling off." The plastic pollution crisis is huge. Tiny microplastics have been found everywhere—from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, and inside human bodies. Each year, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic are made globally, half for single-use items. Worse, plastic production might triple by 2060. Panama’s negotiator Juan Monterrey Gomez spoke passionately about the danger. He said, "Microplastics are in our blood, in our lungs and in the first cry of a new-born child. Our bodies are living proof of a system that profits from poisoning us." He made it clear, "We cannot recycle our way out of this crisis." Will these fiery talks end with a tough treaty, or will the world keep drowning in plastic? The clock is ticking, and the world is watching.

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Tags: Plastic pollution, Un treaty, Environment, Waste management, Plastic production, International talks,