Plastic Pollution and Human Rights : The Role of Local and Regional Governments

At its 56th session, which ended last week, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a procedural decision requesting the Advisory Committee, a think tank body composed of experts, to conduct a three-year study on plastic pollution and its implications for human rights. This decision, put forward by Latin American States, including Ecuador and Peru as former and current chairs of the ongoing negotiations on the plastic pollution treaty initiated by the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), requests the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee to prepare a study on the implications of plastic pollution for the full enjoyment of human rights. In doing so, the Advisory Committee should address the full life cycle of plastic and present the study to the Human Rights Council at its 66th session (i.e., sept 2027). The decision also “requests the Advisory Committee, when preparing the above-mentioned study, to seek the views of and inputs from a broad range of stakeholders.(see HRC/56/117)

The Human Rights Council decision and the study have the potential to underline the critical role of local and regional governments in fighting plastic pollution. The GCH hopes to be able to work with the Advisory Committee and through the Local and Subnational Government Coalition to End Plastic Pollution to provide inputs into the new study. For more information, see the Coalition, and if you are a local or regional government, sign the Coalition statement [here].