Plastic Peace: Assessing Agency in Developing Countries for a Pioneering Plastics Treaty

Summary: In November 2022, the United Nations approved the creation of the first global Plastics Treaty to regulate single-use plastics worldwide. In as much as this is a significant milestone for net-zero emissions, it is essential that the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee currently working on the agreement properly takes into account the different socio-economic contexts of developing countries to ensure that such an agreement is truly assertive, applicable and equitable. This will smooth the transition from conception into implementation. Hence, the proposed project seeks to evaluate the agency of the Caribbean, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Subsaharan Africa on the construction of the framework, analyzing their engagement, influence, and ability to shape outcomes. Barbados, Nigeria, Mexico and Thailand will serve as case studies due to their experience dealing with plastic pollution. The predicted methodology includes primary source analysis and interviews with key stakeholders.