Kenya has called on negotiators to strengthen the draft global plastics treaty and reinstate binding international commitments, warning that the current text risks falling short of the vision set out in UNEA Resolution 5/14.
Speaking during INC-5.2 plenary, CS Deborah Barasa reaffirmed Kenya’s determination to conclude the session with a robust and enforceable agreement to end plastic pollution.
Barasa noted that while negotiations over the past nine days had been constructive, the revised draft had lost its core ambition, shifting towards national waste management measures without establishing binding global obligations — including on means of implementation.
She expressed concern that key provisions, such as those on the Conference of Parties (COP) and the treaty’s Secretariat, had been removed, diminishing the treaty’s potential impact.
Kenya urged the reintroduction of language from earlier drafts specifying that the inaugural COP be convened by the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, where the treaty process was initiated.
Barasa reiterated Africa’s unified position, adopted by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in September 2023, that the Secretariat be hosted at UNEP Headquarters to strengthen and consolidate its mandate.
She warned that removing these provisions undermines UNEP’s role and disregards commitments contained in the “Future We Want” outcome document.
Calling for more time for member states and regions to engage with the proposed text, the CS stressed the importance of transparency, inclusivity, and consensus in securing a treaty acceptable to all.
She concluded by reaffirming Kenya’s readiness to work with all delegations towards a strong, ambitious, and actionable treaty that upholds both environmental integrity and global cooperation.
