Global plastics treaty talks remain deadlocked as a new chair is elected

Delegates to the UN plastics treaty negotiations have not reached agreement after six rounds of talks, and a new Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee chair is scheduled to be elected on 7 February.

Plastic pollution affects land and sea, reaches remote regions, and was judged to require an international response. In March 2022 the UN Environment Assembly established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to draft a global plastics treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastics. After six rounds of negotiations and a reconvened fifth session in Geneva in August 2025, delegates remained unable to agree on key elements. A new INC chair will be elected on 7 February. Key facts: - Delegates from 184 member states have not reached agreement after six rounds of INC negotiations. - A reconvened fifth session in Geneva in August 2025 ended without agreement on treaty text. - A new INC chair is scheduled to be elected on 7 February. - Observers and some delegation advisers have recommended procedural reforms, including clearer priorities, milestone-driven timelines, and defined rules for drafting and documenting informal discussions. Summary: The current impasse leaves the treaty process stalled while plastic pollution and its related impacts continue to be discussed as an international concern. The immediate next procedural step is the election of a new INC chair on 7 February; whether that person will adopt the proposed procedural changes is undetermined at this time.