BANGKOK — The diplomat chairing talks on a world-first treaty to limit plastic pollution says countries are less divided than before, and a deal could be adopted at the next formal round of negotiations in March 2027.
Chilean ambassador Julio Cordano, who took over as chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee earlier this year after his predecessor resigned, made the remarks to the AFP news agency on October 4 after informal closed-door talks with heads of delegations in Bangkok.
“My plan and my expectation is that we will be able to adopt the treaty in INC 5.4 (March meeting), if we follow the correct steps, if we make consistent progress, and if we complete the roadmap that I presented,” Cordano said.
The negotiations, which began in 2022 with an initial two-year timeline, have overrun their schedule by more than a year. Crunch talks in Busan, South Korea, in 2024 fell apart, and a renewed effort in Geneva the following year made no progress either.
Where the deadlock lies
Production caps — the majority view
A majority of nations have called for ambitious, legally binding measures to curb the production of plastic, which is expected to triple by 2060, according to OECD projections cited in the talks. They argue that no treaty can end plastic pollution without addressing how much plastic is made in the first place.
Waste management — the opposing view
A smaller bloc of mostly oil-producing states — including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Russia — has pushed back against production restrictions. These countries argue the treaty should focus more narrowly on waste management, recycling and efforts to scale plastic waste collection in developing nations.
The “Aid to Negotiations” outline
Ahead of the Bangkok talks, Cordano released a non-binding outline of a possible treaty called “Aid to Negotiations,” with brackets around the most contentious sections. These are largely the same issues that sank previous rounds: a cap on plastic production, any mention of human health, and rules designating problematic plastic products or chemicals of concern.
Cordano insisted countries were not as far apart as they might seem. “I think you would be surprised to hear members on these topics,” he said. “I think they are much closer than simply binary positions that are irreconcilable.”
Campaigners want more ambition
Environmental groups say the draft text does not go far enough. The Environmental Investigation Agency, which has followed the negotiations throughout their four-year history, called the chair’s document a “‘no surprises’ document” that retreats from the level of ambition needed to end plastic pollution.
The Center for International Environmental Law has warned that the text omits or weakens measures addressing plastic production and chemicals of concern, while Break Free From Plastic said the document “cannot be accepted as is,” raising concerns about closed-door sessions that excluded civil society.
Pacific states push for a strong treaty
Pacific small island developing states, represented at the Bangkok meeting, called for a strong and implementable treaty that responds to the realities faced by island nations. Anthony Talouli, director of waste management and pollution control at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, stressed that any robust treaty must come with adequate funding, technical assistance and capacity building.
KEY FACTS
- What: Talks on a world-first, legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution.
- Who: The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, chaired by Chilean ambassador Julio Cordano.
- Latest development: Informal heads-of-delegation talks in Bangkok, September 27–30, 2026.
- Key sticking points: A cap on plastic production, human-health provisions, and rules on problematic products and chemicals of concern.
- Next step: The fourth part of the fifth session (INC-5.4), officially scheduled for March 13–24, 2027.
What happens next
The chair’s roadmap continues with further informal meetings to prepare a consensus-based draft text. If the steps are completed, Cordano expects the treaty to be adopted at INC-5.4 in March 2027 — but campaigners and the majority of countries will be watching closely to see whether ambition survives the final round.
Conclusion
After four years of false starts, the global plastic pollution treaty talks have a new deadline and, according to their chair, a narrowing gap between the two camps. Whether March 2027 finally delivers the world-first agreement will depend on the hardest question of all: should the treaty limit how much plastic the world makes?
