Countries Elect New Chair for Global Plastics Treaty Talks

United Nations member states elected Julio Cordano as the new chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution during a meeting in Geneva on Feb. 7.

Cordano, a diplomat and director of environment, climate change and oceans at Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, replaces former chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso of Ecuador, who resigned late last year. His appointment comes as negotiators prepare to resume talks on a global plastics treaty that had stalled in 2025.

“Plastic pollution is a planetary problem that affects every country, community and individual. Therefore, a treaty is urgently needed to support concerted action and bring us together to address this shared responsibility. I am willing and determined to play a leading role in helping the Committee cross the finish line,” said Cordano in a statement. 
 
Civil society groups said the new chair should restore transparency, neutrality and inclusive participation in the negotiations. According to statements from several organizations, they are urging leadership that supports a treaty addressing the full life cycle of plastics, from raw material extraction through disposal.

“We are encouraged by the election of the newest UN plastics treaty chair, an essential step toward reviving the stalled international plastic treaty negotiations,” Nicholas Mallos, vice president of Ocean Conservancy’s Ending Ocean Plastics program, said in an emailed press statement. “Now, we can get back to work on delivering an ambitious agreement that addresses plastic pollution in all its forms — from its fossil fuel origins to marine litter.”

Other groups said the treaty should include measures such as reductions in plastic production, controls on single-use plastics and mechanisms to address discarded fishing gear and provide funding for implementation, particularly in countries most affected by plastic pollution.

According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, participating governments are expected to return later in 2026 for renewed negotiations at the fourth part of the fifth session — INC-5.4. The place and time of these negotiations are yet to be determined. The negotiations have been in effect since March 2022.