Environment ministers from Ecuador, Ghana, Germany and Vietnam will call for an international high-level process for a UN plastics agreement during an online high-level panel discussion and press conference scheduled for Wednesday 31 March 2021, 15:00 CEST.
With several United Nations Environment Assembly Resolutions (3/7 and 4/6), global calls for an urgent reduction in plastic pollution, as well as research clearly showing the extent of global marine litter and plastic pollution, the scale of the challenge has never been clearer – in the next 30 years, we may produce four times more plastic waste than ever and already, millions of tonnes of mismanaged plastic enter the ocean every year, damaging the marine environment and causing ripple effects that affect life on earth.
Recognising the need for stronger efforts and a coordinated global approach, the governments of Ecuador, Ghana, Germany and Vietnam who are hosting the online event, are planning decisive steps towards a new global agreement on plastic pollution by hosting a dedicated international ministerial conference on marine litter and plastic pollution in the latter half of 2021, ahead of the second session of the fifth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) in February 2022.
Last month, UNEP-SPBF held it’s virtual Third Global Session, bringing together 100+ experts from across sectors to provide practical and innovative recommendations towards addressing critical environmental challenges – including plastic pollution.
During the press conference, ministers from the four governments will outline their common approach towards a global agreement on plastics. A high-level panel discussion will be held immediately prior to the press conference.
Press conference panelists:
Marcelo Mata Guerrero, Ecuadorian Minister for the Environment
Kwaku Afriyie, Ghanaian Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Ta Dinh Thi, Director General, Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam
Susan Gardner, Director, Ecosystems Division, UN Environment Programme
Moderator:
Stephan Gabrial Haufe, Spokesperson, German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Connection details:
Register here: https://bit.ly/3ffvUXr
Attendance numbers may be limited
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Image by Angela Compagnone on Unsplash