On November 5, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Wide Fund for Nature in Viet Nam (WWF Vietnam), held a technical workshop titled "Towards Busan - Scenarios for Vietnam."
The workshop was organized in anticipation of the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) session on the Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution, scheduled from November 24 to December 1, 2024, in Busan, South Korea. The goal was to consult and develop Vietnam's negotiation strategies and scenarios.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment noted that once approved and implemented, the Agreement would have far-reaching effects on every socio-economic aspect of Vietnam and the world. It could even drive a revolution in the plastic economy, affecting product design, manufacturing, consumption, disposal, and recycling.
Thus, there is an urgent need to prepare the best possible content for Vietnam's negotiating delegation at INC-5 in Busan, focusing on issues impacting Vietnam, including legal policies and potential technical barriers.
Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), spoke at the workshop.
During the workshop, participants discussed the informal document released by the Committee Chair on October 30. Topics included the potential use of this informal document as an official negotiation document in Busan and predictions on how the agreement, once ratified, could affect Viet Nam's policies, strategies, and plans, especially in plastics, chemicals, waste management, and international cooperation.
At the workshop, Mr. Vu Thai Truong, Acting Head of the Environment and Climate Change Division of UNDP Viet Nam made four recommendations for Viet Nam's negotiating team at INC-5, including aiming for a balanced agreement that ensures national interests; assessing economic, social, and environmental impacts; advocating for financial and technical support; and preparing for the Agreement's compliance through the national legislation of the international treaty.
Meanwhile, as a supporter of Viet Nam from the early stages of these negotiations, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy, Director of the Plastic Waste Reduction Program of WWF-Vietnam, emphasized critical issues for the upcoming INC-5, including regulating the elimination of harmful plastics; designing sustainable products; securing robust financial resources; and developing a flexible and long-term mechanism.
Participants also discussed various scenarios for Vietnam, focusing on key issues, such as chemicals of concern, plastic production and supply chain, and financial mechanisms.