Greenpeace MENA: As Geneva Talks End Without Agreement, MENA Leaders Must Renew the Fight for a Strong Global Plastics Treaty

August 19, 2025 – Geneva, Switzerland:

After two years of Global Plastics Treaty talks, ministers and negotiators were unable to reach an agreement in Geneva, facing a historic choice during the final hours of what was supposed to be the last round of negotiations: act with the urgency the crisis demands by delivering a strong treaty that tackles plastic pollution at its source, or fall short and allow the crisis to deepen.

In a statement issued today, Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa (MENA) noted that The Geneva negotiations ended with the understanding that talks are to resume at a later date, though no specific timeline was agreed at INC5.2, leaving the path forward uncertain. Every day without an effective Global Plastics Treaty means more plastic pollution harming our health, choking our oceans, and devastating wildlife.

Farah Al Hattab, Delegate to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and Plastics Campaign Lead at Greenpeace MENA, added:
“The governments’ collective inability to reach an agreement in Geneva must be a wakeup call for the world: delay comes at a cost for people and the planet.

For the MENA region, this outcome is not just disappointing; it is dangerous. From coral reefs in the Red Sea to coastlines, cities, and rural communities across our region, plastic pollution is accelerating, with devastating impacts on ecosystems and communities.”

Greenpeace MENA urges our region’s leaders to push for a strong, legally binding treaty that reduces plastic production, bans single-use plastics, includes re-use targets and provides robust and equitable financial mechanisms for Global South countries to support a fair transition to a plastic free future.

We call on our leaders not to gamble with our health or the health of future generations. MENA leaders must ensure that multilateralism succeeds — not fails — in the upcoming global plastics treaty negotiations.

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