The Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to draft an international agreement on plastic pollution is scheduled to be held at Bexco in Busan from November 25 (Monday) to December 1 (Sunday). 

At the 5th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) held in 2022, UN member states resolved (UNEA/RES/5/14) to draft a legally binding international agreement to tackle the increasingly severe plastic pollution by the end of this year (2024). Consequently, a total of four intergovernmental negotiating committees have been held so far in Uruguay, France, Kenya, and Canada. 

It is expected that over 3,500 participants will attend the INC-5, including government delegations from more than 170 UN member states, 31 international organizations, and stakeholders from industry, civic groups, and academia. South Korea will be represented by a government delegation led by Chief Representative Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Alternate Chief Representative Minister of Environment Kim Wansup, along with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Environment; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’ and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. 

This meeting will be presided over by Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso (Ecuador), with the opening ceremony scheduled for November 25 (Monday). Negotiations on the main issues of the agreement will take place in four breakout meetings, and the final results will be approved in the plenary session to be held on December 1 (Sunday), based on the outcomes of those negotiations. 

Korean government recognizes the seriousness of plastic pollution and is committed to actively working towards reaching a negotiation agreement, under the stance that an effective and actionable international agreement covering the entire lifecycle of plastics - from production, consumption, disposal, to recycling - should be swiftly drafted.

In addition, as the host country for INC-5, the Korean government is planning various events to rally the political will of countries for the drafting of the agreement and to raise awareness both domestically and internationally about ending plastic pollution. First, on November 25 (Monday), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a welcome reception for government delegations from various countries in collaboration with the city of Busan. The Ministry of Environment will conduct events such as forums, seminars, and promotional exhibitions under the theme “New Perspectives on Plastics” at Bexco second exhibition hall from November 25 (Monday) to 29 (Friday).

The plastic agreement is expected to become the largest multilateral environmental agreement since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Given the significant international interest in this negotiation meeting, our government plans to play a leading role in establishing international norms to effectively address plastic pollution, which threatens the global environment and human health, through the successful hosting of the conference.  End. 

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com