Please ensure public participation and transparency in the context of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other organizations to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, urging the government to advocate for transparency and public participation in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution.

• The signatories argue that restricting civil society and Indigenous participation in the INC process violates the Aarhus Convention, which Canada is a signatory to via the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), as well as Canada's own domestic obligations for public participation in environmental decision-making.
• The document identifies three specific instances of exclusion and opacity within the INC process: the restriction of the Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Groups to Member States and 24 technical experts despite calls for Observer participation; the use of closed-door Heads of Delegation meetings to influence the Chair's Text; and the exclusion of all Observers from substantive discussions for several days during INC-5.
• The signatories claim that the exclusion of Indigenous Peoples from INC processes contravenes the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in Canada.
• The organizations request that Canada take three specific actions: advocate for meaningful participation in the INC to uphold Aarhus Convention and UNDRIP obligations; collaborate with the INC Secretariat and regional Bureau members to ensure participation for rights holders and affected constituencies; and provide funding to support the participation of Indigenous Peoples as rights holders.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2025). Please ensure public participation and transparency in the context of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ENGO-letter-re-public-participation-at-Global-Plastics-Treaty-March-2025.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Please ensure public participation and transparency in the context of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution. 2025. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ENGO-letter-re-public-participation-at-Global-Plastics-Treaty-March-2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Please ensure public participation and transparency in the context of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution |date=20 March 2025 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ENGO-letter-re-public-participation-at-Global-Plastics-Treaty-March-2025.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2025please, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Please ensure public participation and transparency in the context of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ENGO-letter-re-public-participation-at-Global-Plastics-Treaty-March-2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }