Exploring the Option of a New Global Agreement on Marine Plastic Pollution – A Guide to the Issues

Executive summary

• Marine plastic pollution is an issue with a long history, but recognition of the need for a dedicated international response to the problem has grown over the past few years. A multitude of initiatives, partnerships, and platforms have been introduced, but the amount of plastic that is discharged into the ocean every year is still increasing. The existing legal landscape is fragmented, and support has recently been growing for the consideration of a new global agreement dedicated to addressing the issue of marine plastic pollution. • Global agreements come in all shapes and forms, from political declarations with broad thematic scope to narrowly framed legally binding protocols. Regardless of their legal status, one of the key challenges in the design of new global agreements

is to incentivize participation and compliance, including by ensuring that the provisions of the agreement can be monitored and verified.

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