The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), is scheduled to take place from 13 to 19 November 2023 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

In INC-3 Briefing 6 of 10, the Key Messages are:

• The Plastic Pollution Treaty’s scope, as articulated by United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/14, includes the circular economy and all aspects of the plastic life-cycle as vital elements for addressing plastic pollution and production.
• The fundamental connections between the circular economy, plastic life-cycle and global efforts to address plastic pollution were affirmed by States and stakeholders throughout the INC-1 and INC-2 discussions.
• To address these issues, the International Legally Binding Instrument (ILBI) negotiations should consider the value of explicit and implicit inclusion of circular economy provisions so as to address the potential for technological growth and change while remedying existing gaps in the plastics life-cycle.
• The plastic life-cycle should be understood as multi-phased, with each phase requiring inclusion in the ILBI as well as the national action plans, national reporting and related requirements, and other potential oversight and compliance mechanisms.
• It is critical that the ILBI include methods for national oversight of efforts to address plastic pollution throughout all phases of the plastic life-cycle and ensure space for public-private engagement on these issues.

A compilation of 10 Briefings for negotiators is available here. These are:

Briefing 1: Key Elements for Plastic Pollution Treaty 
Briefing 2: Glossary of Key Terms 
Briefing 3: Structure of Plastic Pollution Treaty (ILBI) 
Briefing 4: Just Transition and the International Legally Binding Instrument 
Briefing 5: Regime Convergence and the International Legally Binding Instrument 
Briefing 6: Circular Economy and Plastic Life-Cycle Issues 
Briefing 7: Legal Process of Treaty Negotiations 
Briefing 8: Connections between IUCN’s Plastic Pollution Elimination Timeline and the SDGs 
Briefing 9: Connections between IUCN’s Plastic Pollution Elimination Timeline and the GBF
Briefing 10: Free Trade Agreement Convergence and the Plastic Pollution Treaty