November 2 at 8:30 am – 10:30 am Central/9:30 am – 11:30 am Eastern
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Meeting number: 2760 317 9615
Password: fiNd2r28784 (34632728 from phones)
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The U.S. Department of State, working with interagency partners, will lead a series of consultations and listening sessions on the upcoming negotiations of a new global agreement on plastic pollution, which was launched by United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) Resolution 5/14. The first meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) established for these negotiations will take place November 28 – December 2, 2022, in Punta del Este, Uruguay. This meeting will be preceded by a multi-stakeholder forum on November 26, 2022, also in Punta del Este. There are five INC meetings planned between November 2022 and the end of 2024.

You are invited to participate in a virtual consultation on November 2, 2022. Please RSVP by October 28, 2022, via email to tribalconsultations@state.gov. Once you have confirmed your participation, you will be sent an agenda for the meeting. They will accept written comments until November 21, 2022. Due to the INC meeting beginning on November 28 and the need to accommodate a truncated written comment period, this consultation does not have a 30-day notification period.

The November 2 consultation is intended to be the first of several on this international negotiation. They hope to bring together Tribal Leaders and scientific and technical experts, and U.S. Government representatives, to identify considerations as the U.S. Government develops its policy position on potential provisions of a new global agreement on plastic pollution. They envision this initial dialogue as a starting point for future dialogues, identification of subject matter experts, and continued engagement.

Background: On March 2, 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2), countries adopted Resolution 5/14, entitled End Plastic Pollution: Towards an International Legally Binding Instrument (attached). This resolution launches negotiations on a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the resolution outline key parts of the negotiating mandate, and we encourage Tribal Nations to review and consider these paragraphs in preparation for the November 2 consultation. Below they highlight some of the key topics that fall within the negotiating mandate:

• Objectives of the instrument;
• National action plans reflecting country-driven approaches;
• Details of national reporting on implementation;
• The role of any scientific or economic assessments relating to plastic pollution;
• The role of awareness-raising and education;
• Arrangements for financial and technical assistance and capacity building; and
• Stakeholder