Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday urged countries involved in ongoing negotiations for an international anti-plastic pollution treaty to address the role of fossil fuels in plastic production. The organization also cited the need for human rights protections to be included within this Global Plastics Treaty.

On November 28, 2022, countries began treaty negotiations based on a United Nations resolution mandating the creation of a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution by the end of 2024. Senior HRW researcher Katharina Rall stated that “the race to tackle the plastic crisis and prevent a climate catastrophe requires every country to tackle these problems at their common source by urgently phasing out fossil fuels.” HRW also notes that fossil fuel production, the primary contributor to the global climate crisis, is “the ultimate source of plastic pollution.”

Plastics pollution has become a global threat to human rights. In particular, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights notes that it impairs the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, life, health, food, water and sanitation.

HRW has also reported that employees in the plastics recycling sector face significant health risks, including exposure to serious injuries such as brain tumors and cancer. Moreover, the burden of proving that the plastic waste caused harm rests on the employee, which can pose a major challenge in securing their right to an effective remedy.

Research from the No Burn organization has shown that the global plastic waste trade has long-term impacts on the health of citizens and the environment of importing regions, which are often low-income countries.

HRW’s views are shared by countries across the world. In their pre-negotiation submissions, almost 50% of countries endorsed a full life cycle approach to tackle the plastics crisis. Additionally. 25% of countries agreed to reduce plastic production generally.

Rwanda and Norway, as co-chairs of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, put forward a number of potential provisions including one to reduce the production of primary plastic polymers, to eliminate and restrict specific plastic polymers and chemicals, to increase the circularity of plastics in the economy, and to eliminate the release of plastics to the environment.

The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop the Global Plastics Treaty will take place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Headquarters in Paris. Regional consultations will take place on 28 May 2023.