**Pre-Event ‘Youth and Stakeholder Assembly’ Held at Dongseo University on the 24th**
The ‘Youth and Stakeholder Assembly’, a preliminary event for the ‘5th Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee Meeting’ (INC-5) for the UN Plastic Convention, continues from November 25 to December 1 at BEXCO in Haeundae, Busan. This assembly is taking place at the Centum Campus of Dongseo University on the 24th.
“Youth, representing the future, will lead in solving plastic pollution.”
The ‘Youth and Stakeholder Assembly’ of the ‘5th Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee Meeting’ (INC-5) for the UN Plastic Convention took place on the 24th at the Centum Campus of Dongseo University, U-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan. Organized to establish a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution, including marine plastics, this committee was formed following a resolution by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the highest decision-making body within the UN’s environmental sector.
As an official pre-event for the INC-5, which will commence on the 25th, this meeting discussed and debated ways to improve plastic pollution under themes such as science, policy, people, eco-friendly job skills, fair finance and responsibility, and stakeholder partnerships. Co-hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and EcoNow, the assembly gathered around 300 participants, including representatives from Korean youth, the UNEP Official Youth Group, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Plastic EURO research institution, the World Health Organization (WHO), among other expert stakeholders and youth.
Established in 2009 as UNEP’s official non-profit partner in South Korea, EcoNow operates the ESG Life Lab, Bangbae Forest Environmental Library, and a specialized public library focused on environmental topics. Ha Ji-won, the CEO of EcoNow, expressed the hope that the voices of youth and stakeholders aiming to regulate the entire lifecycle of plastics to sustainably protect the Earth’s environment would be well-reflected in the results delivered to the main INC-5 session.
On the same day, Busan City held the ‘High Busan, Buy Plastic’ event at the outdoor plaza of the Centum City Cinema Center in Haeundae to build public consensus on plastic pollution and promote a culture of resource circulation. The event featured various programs and operated more than 20 exhibition, experience, and promotional booths.
The 5th INC-5 meeting will kick off at BEXCO in Haeundae on the 25th and continue for seven days until December 1. Starting with the first meeting held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November 2022, the 4th meeting took place in Ottawa, Canada, earlier this year, and now the 5th meeting is hosted in Busan. This final meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee is convened to endorse a legally binding international document on plastic pollution, including the marine environment, known as the Plastic Convention.
The 5th meeting will bring together over 4,000 participants, including government delegations from over 170 UN member states, relevant international organizations, and environmental experts, to discuss the severity of plastic pollution and explore specific solutions. Various side events focusing on a sustainable city, such as a forum titled ‘Circular Economy Era, Busan’ and rethinking the lifecycle of plastics, will also take place.