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This briefing note provides guidance for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) on integrating human health protection into a future international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) analyzes contributions from Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) members regarding the protection of human health within a proposed international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. It focuses on the work of two ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups meeting in Bangkok in August 2024 to inform the final negotiation session (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, in November 2024.

This research paper outlines the scientific basis for selecting and applying specific metrics to assess the spatial and temporal variations of tropospheric ozone and its impacts on human health, vegetation, and climate.

This informal briefing note from the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs provides recommendations for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to ensure the protection of human health is integrated into a future international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. It argues that plastic pollution constitutes a public health crisis affecting every stage of the plastic life cycle and proposes three structural options for the treaty: an integrated approach, a standalone article on health, or a combination of both. The document details specific opportunities to embed health protections across various treaty articles, focusing on the elimination of harmful chemicals, sustainable product design, and the establishment of a science-policy interface to allow the treaty to evolve with emerging evidence.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs outlines strategies for integrating human health protection into the development of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. It proposes a cross-cutting approach involving product design, information availability, implementation support, and a dedicated article on health to address adverse health impacts across the full plastic life cycle.