Negotiating the plastics treaty to protect health and the environment

Introduction

In March 2022, United Nations Member States adopted resolution EA.5/ Res.4 End plastic pollution: towards an international legally binding instrument to negotiate an international, legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. T he resolution highlights the need to prevent plastic pollution and its related risks to human health.1 Yet, despite the importance of health in driving efforts to manage plastic pollution, the current proposed treaty text has major gaps that put human health at risk from hazardous chemicals and plastics. For a meaningful treaty, health considerations must figure more prominently.