Kenyan capital Nairobi is hosting negotiations on a global treaty to combat plastic pollution from November 13-19, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Since 2022, when UN member states adopted a resolution establishing an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) with the goal of finalizing a proposed global legally binding agreement by the end of 2024, nations have met twice to work on this issue.
This week's talks will be the first review of the draft treaty agreement released in September, which outlines many options for tackling the plastic problem. The nations aim to conclude negotiations on the treaty by next year, with a view to adopting it by mid-2025.
On Saturday, hundreds of environmental activists took part in the demonstration in Nairobi, calling for drastic cuts in plastic production.
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues in Africa. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 2022 report, plastic waste will increase sixfold by 2060.