Five’s a crowd: divergence and delay at the first half of the fifth global plastics treaty negotiation (INC-5.1)

Abstract The United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) convened its fifth session of negotiations (INC-5.1) on a new international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution from November 25–December 2, 2024, in Busan, South Korea. Initially anticipated to be the final session of negotiations, INC-5.1 concluded without reaching a consensus, highlighting divides among negotiating state parties. A central point of contention remained the divergent priorities of the group of like-minded countries, which advocate for a treaty focused primarily on waste management and the High Ambition Coalition, which calls for a comprehensive lifecycle approach addressing the production, use, and disposal of plastics. This paper examines the barriers and textual changes that defined INC-5.1, drawing on close participant observation and document analysis. Despite progress on financial mechanisms and monitoring frameworks, core obligations, such as limits on production and reduction targets, remain unresolved. Procedural disagreements also hampered the negotiations, with debates over the inclusion of detailed text proposals in the draft treaty further delaying consensus. Looking ahead, negotiations will now extend past 2026, with additional sessions being prepared to reconcile the competing visions for the treaty. This paper highlights the persistent challenges facing the negotiations and considers the implications of the extended timeline on the prospects for an effective global plastics agreement.