Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment Thompson Travels to the Republic of Korea

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) John Thompson will lead the U.S. delegation at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on plastic pollution, to be held in Busan, the Republic of Korea, November 25 to December 1, 2024.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Thompson will be joined by State Department and interagency representatives, including negotiators and senior experts from across U.S. government agencies and offices. INC-5 will convene representatives from about 175 countries with the goal to finalize the text of a new international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution is a global problem that affects our environment, biodiversity, health, food security, and economies. The United States intends to be part of the solution to the plastic pollution crisis, and the U.S. delegation is committed to securing an effective instrument at INC-5, with meaningful and feasible universal obligations throughout the plastics lifecycle, including production, consumption, and waste. It is important that the instrument be sufficiently flexible to allow broad participation by countries and ambitious enough to achieve meaningful outcomes.

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