INC-5.3: Where the global plastics treaty talks stand, and why this meeting matters

What is INC-5.3?

INC-5.3 is the third part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), the UN body tasked with negotiating a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution.  

On February 7, governments will gather in Geneva for a one-day meeting. This time, there will be no negotiations or treaty text on the table. The focus is solely on selecting a new chair for the process.

With three candidates in the running, from Chile, Pakistan, and Senegal, there is a strong preference to elect the chair by acclamation, signalling broad political support. If that proves impossible, governments are prepared to move to a secret ballot. Either way, the expectation is clear: the INC will leave Geneva with a chair in place.

Selecting a new chair is essential to restart the plastics treaty negotiations after the previous session ended without agreement and the former chair stepped down.

How did the UN plastics treaty process begin?

The process grew out of more than a decade of expert discussions that gradually reframed plastic pollution from a narrow marine litter problem to a systemic, life-cycle challenge rooted largely in land-based sources and upstream production. Early scientific work on microplastics showed that pollution entering aquatic environments often begins far earlier in the plastics supply chain, prompting calls for more comprehensive action.  

As existing voluntary and fragmented initiatives proved insufficient, governments increasingly recognized the need for a single, legally binding global agreement. This culminated in a United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution in 2022, which formally established the INC and mandated it to develop a treaty addressing plastic pollution across the full life cycle, with attention to national circumstances, equity, and implementation support.

Find out more in A Guide to the Global Agreement to End Plastic Pollution.

What has happened in the negotiations so far?

Governments have met six times to negotiate a global plastics treaty. The process began with countries laying out the key elements they wanted to see in an agreement and testing how far the mandate could go. From there, talks moved into drafting early treaty texts, refining language, and trying to narrow options.  

As negotiations moved into the textual details, long-standing disagreements came into sharper focus—especially over whether the treaty should tackle plastic production or stick mainly to waste and recycling. By the most recent sessions, despite multiple draft texts and long hours of talks, countries were still unable to bridge these divides, leaving the core political questions unresolved.

How did INC-5.2 end?

Geneva talks in August 2025 concluded without agreement on core measures needed to address plastic pollution.

Governments disagreed over whether the treaty should limit plastic production or focus mainly on waste, and whether it should take a full life-cycle approach covering chemicals and product design or concentrate on recycling. Divisions also persisted over how binding the rules should be, how developing countries would be supported to implement the treaty, and how future decisions under the agreement would be made.

The chair of the negotiations, Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso of Ecuador, stepped down in October 2025.

Earth Negotiations Bulletin Summary report 5–15 August 2025.

IISD’s reaction to INC-5.2 outcome.

What would an ambitious global plastics treaty look like, according to IISD experts?

According to our experts, an ambitious plastics treaty would tackle plastic pollution across its entire life cycle, from production to disposal, recognizing that waste management, reuse, and recycling alone cannot solve the problem.  

It would include measures to phase out harmful and unnecessary plastics, reduce overall plastic production, address hazardous chemicals, and improve product design to cut waste at the source.  

The treaty should be implemented through strong national action plans, backed by clear reporting rules, transparency, and financial and technical support for developing countries.  

It would also account for the global trade in plastics, aligning trade rules and financial flows with treaty goals. 

Finally, the treaty should be science-based and adaptable over time, able to respond to emerging evidence as our understanding of plastic pollution continues to evolve, while respecting Indigenous rights and knowledge systems.

See IISD’s Key Considerations for an Effective Plastics Treaty.

Why does the choice of chair matter so much?

The chair plays a central role in guiding the negotiations. Their authority comes from the rules of procedure and the trust of the states that elect them.  

Formally, the chair is responsible for ensuring compliance with procedural rules, opening and closing meetings, and recognizing speakers.  

Beyond this, the role carries significant informal influence that can shape outcomes—facilitating informal consultations, issuing so-called “non-papers” to explore compromise options, and engaging with observers.  

After two failed attempts to finalize the treaty, effective leadership is widely seen as critical to rebuilding trust, restoring momentum, and navigating deep divisions among countries. 

What happens after INC-5.3?

If the chair is successfully elected, governments are expected to return later in 2026 for renewed substantive negotiations at the fourth part of the fifth session—INC-5.4.

The place and time of these negotiations are yet to be determined.

Subscribe to IISD’s Earth Negotiations Bulletin for updates.