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

A coalition of Canadian environmental organizations is calling on Minister Terry Duguid to ensure public participation and transparency within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution. The authors argue that the exclusion of civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and independent scientists violates international and domestic obligations, specifically citing the Aarhus Convention and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). They highlight three specific instances of opacity: the restriction of intersessional expert groups to Member States and a small number of non-transparently appointed experts, the use of closed-door Heads of Delegation meetings to influence the draft treaty text, and the exclusion of observers from substantive discussions during INC-5. The organizations request that Canada advocate for meaningful participation, work with the INC Secretariat and Bureau to ensure inclusion of affected constituencies, and provide funding for Indigenous Peoples' participation.

• The authors claim that the exclusion of civil society and Indigenous participants from the INC process contradicts the Aarhus Convention and Canada's own domestic obligations regarding public participation in environmental decision-making.
• The document identifies three specific patterns of exclusion in the INC process: the restriction of Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Groups to Member States and 24 technical experts, the use of closed-door Heads of Delegation meetings to shape the Chair’s Text, and the multi-day exclusion of observers from substantive discussions during INC-5.
• The signatories argue that the participation of independent scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and frontline communities is necessary to ensure the plastics treaty is equitable, effective, and free from undue economic influence.

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} }