🌍 Participation in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC)
At Agora, we believe that youth participation in multilateral spaces isn’t just important — it’s essential. Through our program Fund4Participation.org, we support young leaders to actively take part in international conferences by offering accreditation, guidance, and travel funding assistance so their voices can be heard where global decisions are made.
One of those young leaders is Thelma González, a chemist from UNAM and biotechnologist from the University of Glasgow, who represented Agora in the negotiations of the International Treaty to End Plastic Pollution (INC) — attending both the 2024 and 2025 sessions.
🧪 Science, Politics, and Youth at the Same Table
In March 2022, the world woke up to a shocking discovery: microplastics were found in human blood for the first time. The revelation triggered alarm across the scientific and policy communities. The United Nations, through the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), responded by convening Member States to create a legally binding international treaty to curb plastic pollution and protect both environmental and public health.
Since then, over 170 countries have gathered in a series of negotiation rounds known as the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC).
With the support of Fund4Participation, we accredited Thelma for the INC-4 (2024) and INC-5.2 (2025) sessions in Geneva, Switzerland — where delegates were expected to finalize the text of the treaty.
🧭 Inside the Negotiation Room
Throughout the sessions, Thelma witnessed the complex interplay between science, politics, and power. There were moments of progress and others of deep tension — countries pushing for ambition, and others, particularly major plastic producers, advocating for a weak and voluntary agreement. Meanwhile, the most affected nations — small island states in Southeast Asia — called for a strong treaty and an international financial mechanism to help address pollution they did not create.
“There were moments of contradiction, tension, and unnecessary sessions — but also hope. I’m actually glad the treaty wasn’t signed, because it would have been weak. We need bold, binding actions that guarantee our human right to a clean and healthy environment.”
— Thelma González, Agora Delegate at INC-5.2
The proposed draft in Geneva fell short of the urgency of the crisis. It:
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Failed to recognize the right to a pollution-free environment as a human right.
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Lacked any progressive mechanisms to strengthen commitments over time.
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Omitted references to human health impacts and to a list of hazardous chemicals commonly used in plastics.
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Contained no obligations for major polluters or high-producing nations.
For that reason, Agora and many civil society organizations decided not to support a weak treaty. Signing a hollow text just to “get it done” would only delay meaningful, systemic action.
💬 What Comes Next?
In six months, negotiations will resume — and we will be there again.
At Agora, we will continue empowering youth to take part in these global discussions and shape the policies that define their future.
Through Fund4Participation, we remain committed to:
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Providing accreditation for youth delegates to access high-level UN spaces.
-
Advising and connecting them to travel grants and sponsorship opportunities.
-
Building their advocacy and diplomatic capacities for effective engagement.
-
Pushing for a strong, ambitious treaty that protects people and the planet.
🟢 Our goal: ensure that the future Plastics Treaty becomes a real instrument for environmental justice — not another symbolic gesture.
✍️ Sign our petition and support youth participation in global decision-making.
👉 fund4participation.org
💬 What Comes Next?
In six months, negotiations will resume — and we will be there again.
At Agora, we will continue empowering youth to take part in these global discussions and shape the policies that define their future.
Through Fund4Participation, we remain committed to:
-
Providing accreditation for youth delegates to access high-level UN spaces.
-
Advising and connecting them to travel grants and sponsorship opportunities.
-
Building their advocacy and diplomatic capacities for effective engagement.
-
Pushing for a strong, ambitious treaty that protects people and the planet.
🟢 Our goal: ensure that the future Plastics Treaty becomes a real instrument for environmental justice — not another symbolic gesture.
✍️ Sign our petition and support youth participation in global decision-making.
👉 fund4participation.org