Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts’ opening remarks during the National Stakeholder Consultation Briefing ahead of the 5th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, including in the Marine Environment, to be held in Busan, Republic Of Korea, From 24 November To 01 December 2024
To all the Stakeholders connecting virtually
Members of the media
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Good Morning.
It is my honour to deliver the opening remarks at our National Stakeholder Consultation session ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on the development of the international legally binding instrument on curbing plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, which is taking place in Busan, South Korea this month.
I wish to thank all participants for attending this important meeting. We value your contributions on the formulation of South Africa's negotiating position at INC-5.
INC-5 represents a milestone in global efforts to end plastic pollution, as the compilation of draft text of the Treaty would be under negotiation. This session aims to be the last, as the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) has set an ambitious timeline for the conclusion of the instrument by end of 2024.
Its important today to begin by reminding ourselves why our country supported the development of an internationally legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution at the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in the first quarter of 2022.
At that time, we recognised the threat plastic pollution poses to human health, ecosystem functioning, and the marine environment. In signing up for this process we recognised our constitutionally imposed obligation to protect our environment and human health.
Consequently, on the domestic front we understand that this requires a wholistic approach that understands the full life cycle of plastic manufacturing, use, and disposal in the context of the National Waste Management Strategy, 2020.
Accordingly, we have focused on three aspects:
- Supporting and strengthening municipal waste management services to prevent plastic leaking into the environment.
- Developing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to collect, reuse and recycle plastic waste with the aim of promoting a circular economy in the plastic industry.
- Promoting public awareness and clean up campaigns to remove plastic waste from rivers, wetlands, and beaches.
In recognising the journey, we have travelled so far, we also acknowledge that on the domestic front we need to do a great deal more to tackle plastic pollution. We must do this in the context of three important realities:
- The first is that South Africa has a significant plastics industry that sustains approximately sixty thousand formal jobs. Because of this we will ensure that as we approach the problem of plastic pollution and the measures necessary, we work in consultation with the plastics industry and organized labour.
- Secondly, we are a developing country, and it is necessary that the Rio principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) as provided for in the founding UNEA 5/14 decision that mandates this INC work is upheld.
- Thirdly, a just transition contributes to the goals of decent work for all, social inclusion, and the eradication of poverty. A just transition puts people at the centre of decision making, especially those most impacted, the poor, women, people with disabilities, and the youth—empowering and equipping them for new opportunities of the future.
So, as we move forward, it will be necessary to establish certain principles to guide our negotiations on this matter.
- The first is that all our decisions must be based on the best available science and what this science tells us about the impact of certain products on our environment.
- The second is the need to be open and transparent in sharing information about the chemicals used in plastic production, given the various applications of plastics in food contact applications.
- The third is that this new international legally binding instrument will likely result in the need for new regulatory controls on a domestic level.
- The fourth issue is finance: should the international instrument lead to obligatory measures to curb plastic pollution, there will be a need for these measures to be supported by equally ambitious means of implementation. So, developing countries will argue for a financial mechanism that would ensure predictable and adequate financial resources to assist in curbing plastic pollution in developing countries.
INC-5 provides a key platform for broader conversations on the variety of options linked to several obligatory measures that have been proposed.
I look forward to our progressive discussions today that will enhance our position for INC-5 and support a people-centered just and equitable transition for ending plastic pollution.
I thank you.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
E-mail: pmbelengwa@dffe.gov.za
