Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, Manal Awad, reviewed a report on the outcomes of the participation of the Egyptian delegation in the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2).
The session was held from August 5 to 15, 2025, at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, with the attendance of more than 2,600 representatives from 183 Member States and 400 observer organizations, including environmental groups, waste collectors, and youth.
Awad underscored the urgency of reaching a global agreement to combat plastic pollution, which poses serious risks to the environment and public health. She noted that plastic pollution disrupts ecological balance and threatens the sustainability of life on Earth.
The Egyptian delegation, led by Ali Abu Senna, CEO of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, included representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, petroleum and mineral resources, and the Egyptian Federation of Industries–specifically the Chamber of Chemical Industries and the Environmental Compliance Office. The delegation actively supported Egypt’s national negotiating position throughout the committee’s working sessions.
Discussions during the negotiations focused on several key issues, including sustainable plastic production, the raw materials used in manufacturing plastic products, and assigning responsibility for financing the future treaty’s implementation.
The session concluded with the possibility of holding another round of negotiations–on a date yet to be determined–to finalize and adopt the treaty.
On the sidelines of the event, Abu Senna held bilateral meetings with officials from Germany, Norway, the United States of America, Bangladesh, and the United Kingdom. He also participated in regional group meetings, including with the African Group, Arab Group, and the Group of Like-Minded Countries. Additionally, he represented Egypt during the ministerial session held on August 12-13, 2025.
She added that it is quite important to reach a consensus text that stresses the urgent need to address plastic pollution as a rapidly escalating environmental challenge, which requires an equally swift and responsible response through collective solutions.
Egypt today
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