UN plastics treaty chair to step down with course of in turmoil

[ad_1] The chair of stalled UN plastics treaty talks, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, is getting ready to step down, after accounts of behind-the-scenes stress from the United Nations Atmosphere Programme (Unep).

The transfer might be introduced at a UN assembly on Tuesday, with an official announcement anticipated by Thursday. Vayas Valdivieso confirmed in an interview with the Guardian that he was resigning and mentioned: “There have been some challenges within the course of.”

In August, international talks on the UN headquarters in Geneva to agree on a treaty to take care of accelerating plastic air pollution collapsed after three years of negotiations. There may be presently no deal and the way forward for the settlement is unclear.

The chair’s sudden resignation leaves the plastic treaty in an much more unsure place, and raises questions across the governance of the method.

Vayas Valdivieso confronted criticism from NGOs and member states through the newest stage of the talks for releasing a draft textual content, which was rejected by the vast majority of negotiators and described by the UK’s head of delegation, the minister Emma Hardy because the “lowest widespread denominator”. Ghana mentioned the textual content would “entrench the established order for many years to return”.

A bit on plastic manufacturing limits from a earlier draft had been eliminated, and there was no point out of hazardous chemical substances in plastics. Textual content about addressing plastic air pollution throughout the “full life cycle” from a earlier draft had additionally been taken out.

A second textual content, which was described as marginally higher however nonetheless criticised for not being bold sufficient, got here too late for an settlement to be shaped. It was additionally rejected as the idea for persevering with talks.

Vayas Valdivieso mentioned he had stepped down for private {and professional} causes. He defended his work, saying the treaty course of had thus far “achieved crucial objectives”. He added that the much-criticised first draft was by no means meant, in his thoughts, to be the ultimate model.

Whereas some have criticised the chair’s management, considerations have additionally been raised that his work has been obstructed by Unep, which is headed by the chief director, Inger Andersen. Sources advised the Guardian and others that Unep workers, who're speculated to be neutral, held a covert assembly on the ultimate night time of the negotiations, meant to coax members of civil society teams into pressuring the chair to step down.

“I used to be on the assembly and I discovered it to be very problematic,” a kind of who attended advised the Guardian. They added that they solely found the assembly was concerning the alleged “dissatisfaction with the chair” as soon as already within the room, and felt uncomfortable being there.

In a letter seen by the Guardian and confirmed by Vayas Valdivieso, he lodged an inquiry with Unep asking for details about the gathering “whose focus was the chair’s administration” of the method.

He requested Unep to take “measures to forestall related conditions” and likewise referred to as for extra transparency within the negotiations general, saying: “This can be a member [state]-driven negotiation, and I’ve been defending that, and can defend that, till the final day of my chairpersonship.”

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He mentioned that though he was unhappy, his resignation was additionally a chance to carry “new blood, new initiatives, new concepts for the method”. He added that his choice to step down had nothing to do with what unfolded on the talks in Geneva.

The Guardian has additionally reported on how petrostates and well-funded plastic business lobbyists have labored to derail a deal to chop plastic manufacturing.

Christina Dixon, an ocean marketing campaign chief on the Environmental Investigation Company, described Vayas Valdivieso’s resignation as “a stark reminder of the dysfunction that has plagued the plastics treaty negotiations from the start”. She mentioned belief within the course of needed to be urgently be restored if there was to be any hope of reaching a significant final result.

A Unep spokesperson mentioned: “Whereas Unep has not been formally knowledgeable by the chair he plans to step down, the chief director needs to thank Luis Vayas Valdivieso for his tireless service as chair of the INC course of.” Commenting on the casual gathering, Unep mentioned the chief director “was unaware of any assembly till it was delivered to our consideration. This matter is now being dealt with in accordance with UN guidelines and rules.”