The United States has recognized the progress made during the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on plastic pollution. The session took place in Busan, Republic of Korea, from November 25 to December 1, 2024. The U.S. delegation collaborated with various governments and stakeholders to find common ground and ensure country-specific flexibility while maintaining a high level of ambition.
Despite not reaching an agreement, the U.S. team expressed pride in their ambitious, full-lifecycle approach brought to Busan. They are determined to make further progress in future negotiations. Continued dialogue is deemed essential for successful negotiations, as tackling plastic pollution requires collective efforts from all governments, organizations, and individuals.
"While we were disappointed we were unable to reach an agreement," stated the U.S. delegation, "our team leaves this negotiation proud of the ambitious, full-lifecycle approach we brought to Busan—and is resolved to make more progress in the next stages of this negotiation."
The statement emphasized that "robust continued dialogue will be essential for future negotiations to succeed; no one government, organization, or person can tackle this problem alone."
