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

to consider “strengthening coordination at the global level through existing partnerships and mechanisms” to “encourage new, and enhance existing, forms of financial and technical support to developing countries”; and to “consider the feasibility and effectiveness of a potential international legally binding agreement on marine litter and microplastics”. In 2019, UNEA-4 decided to extend the mandate of the AHEG. While some States had expressed an interest in establishing a new AHEG focused more specifically on “the design and elements of a new and comprehensive global governance and coordination agreement (including the consideration of a legally binding agreement)”, 26 this proposal did not achieve sufficient support. Instead, the mandate of the existing AHEG was extended until UNEA-5. In addition, the expert

group was given a list of supplementary issues to explore, “building on its previous work”. 27 Specifically, the expert group was requested to “take stock of existing activities and actions”, “identify technical and financial resources or mechanisms”, “encourage partnerships”, and “analyse the effectiveness of existing and potential response options and activities”. At the third AHEG meeting, held in December 2019, many government experts continued, however, to discuss and call for a new global agreement on marine plastic pollution. 28 And at the fourth and final AHEG meeting, held virtually in November 2020, these calls continued to grow in strength, with a number of Member States recommending that a mandate for negotiations be adopted at the fifth session of UNEA, which is scheduled to be held in February 2022. 29

Figure 2: Timeline of UNEA activities related to marine plastics: resolutions, reports, and AHEG meetings

26 The various drafts of the resolution are available at https://papersmart.unon.org/resolution/node/255 (requires login). 27 United Nations official document UNEP/EA.4/Res.6, para. 7. 28 See United Nations official document UNEP/AHEG/2019/3/6. All relevant documents from the third AHEG meeting are available at https://papersmart.unon.org/resolution/third-adhoc-oeeg. 29 See Revised Draft Chair’s Summary, para. 22–23. Available at https://papersmart.unon.org/resolution/Fourth-adhoc-oeeg (requires login).

20