Ottawa, April 25, 2024 – Currently, countries around the world are gathering in Ottawa, Canada for the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meeting to discuss the international agreement on plastics from April 23-29, 2024. In this session, AZWI highlights the presence of the plastic and chemical industries in the negotiation process as it poses a risk to achieving the objectives of the agreement, which is to regulate the entire life cycle of plastics to protect human health and the environment
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, coinciding with the opening of INC-4, the INC Secretariat released a provisional list of conference participants distributed via email. According to this list, INC-4 is attended by about 4,000 people consisting of delegations from member states and observer participants from environmental organizations, scientists, to business entities such as petroleum, gas, petrochemical corporations, chemical industry associations, alternative plastic industries, and FMCGs (Fast Moving Consumer Goods).
From the provisional participant list released by the INC Secretariat, the 44 members of the Indonesian Delegation (DELRI) consist of representatives from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of National Development Planning, the Indonesian Embassy in Canada, and the National Coordination Team to Tackle Marine Debris.
Based on a quick analysis from Aliansi Zero Waste Indonesia (AZWI), at least four members of the Indonesian Delegation come from the plastic industry, such as Chandra Asri Petrochemical and bioplastic producer Greenhope. These plastic manufacturers’ representatives were registered as officials and experts from the Ministry of Industry to become official members of DELRI. The presence of these two plastic producers in the Indonesian Delegation could potentially weaken the Indonesian Government’s positions in negotiations regarding plastic production restrictions.
“The presence of plastic industry representatives in the negotiation room of the international plastic agreement, especially as part of a country’s delegation, clearly shows a conflict of interest in achieving a strong and binding agreement. Negotiators, including the Indonesian government, must learn from the WHO-supported UN Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (UNFCTC), which has successfully blocked commercial interests and tobacco industry involvement in the negotiation process,” said Abdul Ghofar, Urban Pollution and Campaign Manager at The Indonesian Forum for Environment (WALHI).
“The Involvement of industry in plastic negotiation meetings could weaken the negotiation position of Indonesia in making decisions related to the elimination of hazardous chemical additives in plastics that affect public health,” said Yuyun Ismawati, Senior Advisor at Nexus3.
Instead of involving representatives from the plastic and chemical industries in the delegation, the Indonesian government should involve the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, and scientific representatives who can provide substantive support in the process of negotiating the international agreement on plastics.
In response to the conflict of interests between the plastic and chemical industries and the Indonesian delegates, Aliansi Zero Waste Indonesia (AZWI), raised several points as follow:
- Condemn the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia for incorporating representatives of the plastic and chemical industries into the Indonesia Delegation (DELRI) in the International Agreement on Plastics.
- Demand the Indonesian Government to remove industry representatives from the official Indonesian delegation in plastic treaty negotiation meetings.
- Demand the Indonesian Government to include representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower, and scientists in the composition of DELRI.
- Ensure that the Indonesian Government’s position in the negotiation of the International Agreement on Plastics is not influenced by the interests of the plastic and chemical industries.
- Demand the Indonesian government not to accommodate representatives of the plastic and chemical industries in the DELRI membership during the negotiation of the International Agreement of Plastic, diplomatic conferences, and other formal meetings.
- Demand the Indonesian Government to give careful assessment to the economic, environmental, and public health cost caused by plastic pollution, and to consider regulatory changes that provide relief and subsidies to polluting industries.
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Contact person:
Kia, Comms Officer AZWI | kia@aliansizerowaste.id | 0852 1580 9537
Joel, Campaigner AZWI | joel@aliansizerowaste.id | 0878 8576 5536