'5th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Meeting of the UN Plastic Treaty' Held in Busan

November 25 - December 1 at BEXCO, Over 4,000 Attendees Including Delegations from 170+ UN Member States

Raising Global Citizen Awareness on Plastic Pollution and Encouraging Participation in Resource Recycling Practices

Busan City announced that the "5th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on the United Nations Plastic Treaty" will be held at BEXCO for seven days from November 25 to December 1.

Poster for the citizen experience event "Hi Busan, Bye Plastic".

The "UN Plastic Treaty Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee" is an intergovernmental negotiation body organized to draft a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution, including marine plastics, pursuant to the resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the highest decision-making body under the UN Environment Programme.

Starting with the 1st session held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November 2022, the 2nd session took place in Paris, France, in May 2023, the 3rd session in Nairobi, Kenya, in November of the same year, and the 4th session was held in Ottawa, Canada, in the first half of this year.

Subsequently, in October last year, Busan, an international maritime city and a city promoting resource circulation and the establishment of a marine cluster, was successfully confirmed as the host city for the final 5th session.

The 5th session is expected to bring together over 4,000 participants, including government delegations from more than 170 UN member states, related international organizations, and environmental experts, to discuss the seriousness of plastic pollution and collaborate on concrete countermeasures.

As this global issue event is held in Busan, which is advancing Green New Deal and sustainable urban policies, the city plans to organize various side events, including citizen experience programs before the conference, to raise public awareness of environmental issues.

First, from November 23 to 24, two days before the event, the "Hi Busan, Bye Plastic" citizen experience event will take place. Various hands-on programs such as transforming waste plastic into new forms and making plastic-free products will be available at the outdoor plaza of the Busan Cinema Center.

Notably, the promotional materials for the experience event were produced using soybean oil-based ink as a substitute for petroleum compounds. Additionally, banners and signboards were made from eco-friendly cotton materials, and after the event, they will be upcycled into new products through creative reuse.

At the BEXCO outdoor plaza, an interactive sculpture titled "Gorae (古來)" (meaning "from ancient times to the present") and "Jagoi-rae" (an abbreviation of 自古以來) will be installed to raise citizens' awareness of plastic pollution.

On November 26, the "Busan Circular Economy Policy Forum" will be held to discuss the policies the city should pursue.

Moreover, as the host city of INC-5, Busan is conducting both online and offline campaigns and promotional activities throughout November to build public consensus on plastic pollution and spread a culture of resource circulation.

During November, a focused "Plastic-Free Week" is being operated intensively, along with a "Reduce Plastic Campaign," promoting regulations on single-use items primarily targeting lodging and food service businesses in Haeundae District.

Furthermore, the city is leading by example by having all city hall employees actively participate in campaigns to use tumblers and reusable containers in daily life, and strongly encouraging citizens to use tumblers, thereby taking the lead in reducing single-use plastic consumption.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, "Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to ecosystems, including the marine environment, and human health. This is not a problem of the distant future but one we must face today. Therefore, it is a time when the active spread of a culture of practice, such as refraining from using single-use plastics, is necessary along with the public's keen interest. The city and related organizations will cooperate organically to respond flawlessly for a safe and successful conference. We will establish Busan as a leading city in transitioning to a circular economy through optimizing resource recycling and promoting the virtuous cycle of plastics."

The 5th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the United Nations Plastic Treaty.