Far from the cameras and the brass band of Third conference of the United Nations Ocean In progress in the French coastal city, they have expressed a shared determination to finalize this year a world treaty which could, for the first time, regulate plastics throughout their life cycle.

“There is a renewed commitment to conclude the treaty in August,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, who attended the meeting and directs negotiations of the treaty UN News. “This is a problem too urgent to be left for the future. »»

Hosted by Inger Andersen, the head of the United Nations Environmental Program (Dive), the informal rally has marked a calm but significant diplomatic moment – a sign that after two years of deliberations, the political momentum could finally catch up with the scientific alarm.

With a round of remaining talks – scheduled from August 5 to 14 in Geneva – negotiators are now under pressure to issue the first legally binding treaty aimed at fighting plastic pollution through production, consumption and waste.

A crisis accelerating at sight

Plastic waste has infiltrated almost all Earth ecosystems, and more and more in the form of microplastics – the human body. Without urgent action, the quantity of plastic entering the ocean each year could reach 37 million tonnes by 2040, according to UN estimates.

“We are suffocating with plastic,” said Ms. Mathur-Filipp. “If we do not do something to fight plastic pollution, we will no longer have a single ecosystem, whether terrestrial or sailor. »»

The economic assessment is no less amazing. Between 2016 and 2040, the expected cost of plastic damage could reach 281 billions of dollars. “It costs the economy a lot,” said the Indian native. “In tourism, in cleaning the beach, for lack of fish for fishermen, coastal damage, damage to wetlands.”

The last section in Geneva

The processing process was launched in 2022, at the request of the United Nations Environment AssemblyThe highest decision -making organization in the world on environmental issues, took place every two years in Nairobi Kenya. Since then, the intergovernmental negotiation committee (INC) has met five times in less than two years – an unusually rapid calendar according to United Nations standards.

“We had five sessions very quickly from December 2022 to December 2024,” said Ms. Mathur-Filipp, who is an executive secretary of the inc. She hopes that the next session in August in Geneva will mark the conclusion of the treaty.

A key breakthrough came six months ago During the last series of talks in Busan, South Korea, where the delegates produced a 22 -page “text of the chair”, describing the basic structure of the treaty.

“It contains 32 or 33 articles, with names of articles, so that countries can now start to see what this treaty will look like,” she said. “They started talking with articles for negotiations … and that is why I hope there would be a conclusion.”

A treaty with teeth – and flexibility

Although the treaty project is still under negotiation, it includes measures that would target the entire life cycle of plastic – from upstream production to downstream waste. It reflects both the compulsory and voluntary provisions, in accordance with the United Nations original mandate.

The current project also includes the institutional architecture of a typical multilateral treaty: the ratification process, governance rules and proposed implementation organizations.

“He has a goal. He has a preamble, “said Ms. Mathur-Filipp. “It looks like a treaty. »»

If everything goes as planned, the final text will be submitted to a diplomatic conference – later this year or at the beginning of 2026 – where governments can officially adopt it and start the ratification process.

Unequal charges, global issues

Although plastic pollution is a global problem, some countries – in particular small developing states of the island – carry a disproportionate burden.

“It is a fact that small developing states of the island are not those that use plastic as much as what flows on their banks and, therefore, they become responsible for cleaning the beach, which is not their fact,” said Mathur-Filipp. “They are unfairly affected.”

It is estimated that 18 to 20% of world plastic waste ends in the ocean.

Mission of a diplomat

Before directing the Inc, Ms. Mathur-Filipp worked at the UN Biological Diversity Conventionwhere she helped shape the landmark Kunming-Montreal global biodiversityThe 2022 agreement to protect 30% of the planet’s land and oceanas by 2030. The challenge of managing rapid negotiations and with high issues is familiar land.

“I was not tired enough, so now I do this,” she said.

While the Mediterranean UNOC3 Host City plays its role in the creation of Elan, all eyes will turn, in the coming weeks, in Geneva. The result in August could determine if the world takes a decisive step towards reducing the plastic crisis – or allows it to deepen, without control.

The plane-a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner-collapsed in a medical college about one mile from the city’s main airport, would kill five students and injured around 50 people who were hospitalized.

The complete extent of the deaths and injuries on the ground has not yet been established, but a British-Indian passenger on the plane miraculously survived the accident, saying that it would have told journalists that there had been a loud noise about 30 seconds after takeoff.

Sincere condolences

In a declaration published by his spokesperson, Secretary General António Guterres extended its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the people and the government of India, and to other countries that have lost citizens during the disaster.

He wished a quick and complete recovery to all the injured as a result of the tragedy.

According to reports, there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven from Portugal and a Canadian on the flight.

Officials of the accident site said that the jet had continued to slip after the landing of the accident, dragging along the ground before igniting. Hundreds of police and emergency police remain on the scene, painting through the wreckage of survivors.

The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Phillémon Yang, said in an article on social networks that his thoughts were with all the victims and those affected by the disaster, adding: “that they find strength and comfort during this difficult period.”

The general meeting is in emergency session in New York and should soon vote on a resolution requiring an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. The President of the Assembly, Phillémon Yang, said that with the paralyzed Security Council, it was time for the Member States to act and end the horrors in Gaza. While famine is looming through the strip, mass victims continue to be reported with desperate civilians trying to access food at Israel and distribution sites supported by the United States. Application users can follow our live cover here.

With the conference, known as the name A3, set to close on Friday, the issues could not be higher.

Li Junhua, the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, said UN News Thursday, the last four days have been marked by a rare feeling of solidarity around the target of sustainable development 14 (ODD 14) – Protection of life underwater.

“This is the real testimony of the impact of this conference on the future of our ocean,” he added.

Project of signal signals Sensation of emergency

Bought since Monday on the Côte d’Azur Borde The adoption of a set supported by consensus aimed at securing the future of the world’s oceans.

Delegates are preparing to approve a political declaration alongside a set of radicals of voluntary commitments from participating countries – collectively known as Beautiful ocean action plan.

The declaration itself, entitled “Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action”, underwent four cycles of intense intergovernmental negotiations at the UN headquarters in New York since January, as well as informal consultations with key delegations and civil society groups.

At the heart of the conference mission – Mobilize measures to safeguard and manage marine ecosystems permanently – The declaration, in the form of a project, reports a change in tone marked, emphasizing an unprecedented feeling of emergency.

He calls for immediate and transformative measures to protect the oceans, reflecting increasing concerns about climate change, loss of biodiversity and the depletion of marine resources.

In addition, the draft declaration describes measures to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable ocean economies. It also emphasizes the acceleration of the action, stressing that the ODD 14 remains one of the least funded United Nations objectives.

To advance global ocean initiatives, the draft declaration provides for significant and accessible funding and the completion of existing commitments under international agreements.

The project highlights the deep links of the ocean with climate and biodiversity, urging nations to fully implement Biological Diversity Convention. He also reaffirms the commitment to an international agreement, legally binding plastic pollutionEmphasizing a complete approach that addresses plastics throughout their life cycle.

The final negotiations are underway, and Tomorrow, we will report if the nations have reached a consensus to tackle the global ocean emergencytransforming decades of promises into significant marine protection.

The small voices of the island are vital for oceanic politics

Among all stakeholders, small island nations have a key role in training the declaration. As a communities most vulnerable to the increase in seas and marine degradation, their first -hand experience and leadership are essential to develop an effective and inclusive ocean policy.

Safiya Sawney, Special Envoy and Ambassador for the Granada Climate, said UN News That it is happy to see the reference in the project of result on the antigua and bearded program for the development states of small islands, or Abas, which was adopted during the fourth international conference on the development states of small islanders in May 2024.

Ms. Sawney said that the inclusion of the Antigua and Barbuda agenda in the UNOC3 political declaration reports unity among the island nations. She pointed out that, despite many challenges, the small islands are determined to implement all the obligations under ABAS, demonstrating their determination to transform the commitments into action.

“A large part of our heritage, our culture, our economy, is derived from the ocean,” she said, ” So for us, you cannot have an ocean declaration without sids. “”

“No compromise with nature”

As for the negotiation process on the draft declaration, Ms. Sawney said that Grenada and other delegations in the Alliance of Small island States (AOSIS) said they were taking advantage of the force and experience of past climatic talks and the contribution to the ocean space.

“Part of healthy multilateralism is to know that you have to compromise,” she admitted, but also adding that “The only thing we cannot compromise, however, is nature».

To ensure that “we are able to succeed together to support this ocean program”, she suggested that “some countries need to do more than others”. She added that The developing states of small islands ask these countries to show their leadershipNot only by discrepancies or funding, but by a “real action”.

Caribbean governments acting together

Note themselves “large ocean nations” at UNOC3, the small development states of the island bring together their weight not only to participate but shape the world ocean agenda, said Sawney. Among these efforts, the Caribbean governments wanted to demonstrate political unity and regional ambition throughout the conference.

On the day of the opening of the UNOC3, the vision of action blue: Caribbean 30 × 30 for the ocean was officially launched. It reflects an urgent call for the political leaders of the Caribbean to advance the collective regional advocacy aligned with the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversityas well as SDG14.

“By entering UNOC3, we approved 12 Governments of the Caribbean, including independent states and territories, and we had an additional signature and expression of interest of three different governments,” said Sawney.

Change the tide of the release

Recalling the 2008 Caribbean Challenge initiative, which advanced the protection of around 49,000 km of maritime zones in the region, Ms. Sawney said that part of what the newly launched vision is doing is reminding the international community that “we will continue to work, we will continue to appear and we really love their help”.

Describing the Caribbean as “limited by capacity”, it, however, highlighted the excessive dependence of the region on external aid, experts and capacity.

“We are trying to change the tide,” she said, stressing the importance of letting donors know that the region is very invested in strengthening its own capacity and possession of its own implementation.

Seeing a OC3 as an important opportunity to get through this message, Ms. Sawney said that the Caribbean islands were not just waiting for the end of the conference, but what happened afterwards.

“The real work begins after all this is over,” she concluded with hope.