As the world gears up for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) from 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea, Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is calling for urgent action to ensure health remains a central focus in the negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty (GPT). This final INC session will gather international negotiators from various countries and industries to develop a legally binding treaty aimed at addressing the escalating plastic pollution crisis.
With plastic pollution posing significant risks to both human health and the environment, HCWH emphasises the need for a treaty that prioritises health-centered policies.
“The health sector has a crucial role to play in tackling plastic pollution, and we are committed to advocating for strong, effective measures that protect our communities and the planet.”
Mariano De Donatis, HCWH’s Global Chief Program Office
HCWH’s global delegation, representing regions from Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and South East Asia, will actively participate in both formal negotiations and related campaign efforts. The organisation is unified in its call for an ambitious and just Global Plastics Treaty that places health at the forefront and does not exempt the health sector from taking action.
"A blanket exemption for the health sector undermines the very mission of protecting human well-being. It will stall innovation and momentum for reducing, reusing, and redesigning plastics within healthcare. This is at odds with the global push for a sustainable health sector.”
Stacia Clinton, Senior Project Lead for Sustainability at HCWH
A brief history: The INCs and the road to a Global Plastics Treaty
The INC-5 in Busan will be instrumental in negotiating treaty elements that directly affect public and planetary health. The decisions made there will significantly influence global health systems, especially as we work to mitigate plastic’s harmful impacts on healthcare facilities, communities, and the environment.
The INC process was initiated by the United Nations to develop a legally binding international agreement addressing the global plastics crisis. Since the beginning, the INC sessions have convened policymakers, scientists, industry leaders, and civil society organisations to create a comprehensive framework for tackling plastic pollution at every stage of its life cycle — production, design, and disposal.
As we confront rising health and environmental risks from plastics, each INC has built on the progress of the last, bringing us closer to comprehensive solutions. INC-5 is now positioned as a pivotal moment in this ongoing journey.
"Healthcare is undeniably a major consumer of plastics, including single-use plastics, constituting about 30% of all healthcare waste. The sector is already implementing more sustainable and non-toxic measures. What we need is a special consideration for the healthcare sector in the Treaty to support that work, not a blanket exemption."
Akif Görgülü, HCWH Europe Chemicals & Plastics Policy Coordinator
"Plastics, present in virtually every aspect of our lives, pose significant health risks, especially to vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women. To protect human and environmental health, it’s essential to address the entire life cycle of plastics through preventive policies and comprehensive regulations.”
Paula Sol Ventura, Pediatric Endocrinologist at the Pediatrics Department at Arnau de Vilanova Lleida Hospital (Spain), and Postdoctoral Researcher in the Pediatrics Department at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP)
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