The WTO Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) seeks to explore how enhanced trade cooperation could contribute to global, regional and domestic efforts to reduce plastics pollution. The DPP currently has 82 WTO co-sponsors, representing more than 85 per cent of global plastics trade, and is co-coordinated by Australia, Barbados, China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco.

The WTO Dialogue on Plastic Pollution has from the start signalled its support of the ongoing negotiations to conclude a new internationally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. At the 13^th WTO Ministerial Conference in early 2024, a DPP Ministerial Statement was released containing a series of principles and voluntary actions to ensure cooperation on trade and trade policies is part of the solution to plastic pollution.

The principles and actions are supported by a set of open and illustrative factual compilations outlining transparency efforts and potential actions, capacity building and technical assistance needs, and identifying the array of trade-related plastics measures adopted by a diversity of WTO Members to achieve their national plastic pollution reduction goals.

Several trade-related issues have arisen in INC negotiations to-date.
These will likely be discussed further at the forthcoming 5^th negotiating session (INC-5) in November/December 2024.

Ahead of INC-5, this webinar shared insights from the work of the DPP, including on:

• the global plastics trade landscape
• lessons about compatibility of multilateral environment agreements (MEAs) and WTO rules
• national experiences on trade and plastic pollution that can inform and support the work of the INC

Introductions

• Cameron Hutchison, Branch Head, Waste and Resource Recovery Policy Branch, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia
• H.E. José Valencia, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the World Trade Organization
• Dr. Carolyn Deere Birkbeck, Executive Director, TESS

The WTO Dialogue on Plastic Pollution: The current trade landscape for plastics and insights gained from the DPP’s collaborative efforts to date

• Co-Coordinators of the WTO DPP, Remarks from representatives of China, Barbados, and Australia.

The interaction between the WTO and existing multilateral environmental agreements

• Daniel Ramos, Secretary of the DPP, WTO Secretariat

Moderated Q&A

• Co-hosts