April 22 — As part of the Partnership Dialogue, held on April 22, representatives from diverse social sectors participated in a high-level space aimed at strengthening the development of an ambitious, just, and inclusive global treaty to combat plastic pollution.
During the event, a dedicated segment was held to give the floor to groups with a direct interest in the treaty, following the earlier session entitled “Key Priorities for an Effective Treaty.” This dialogue brought together governments, rights-holders, partners, key stakeholders, and negotiators, who shared priority components and commitments required to ensure the effectiveness of the future international instrument.
The final 30-minute panel focused on the voices of vulnerable groups and communities, including waste pickers, youth, women, and labor representatives. The session provided an opportunity to explore lived experiences, highlight the realities faced by frontline communities, and identify essential elements needed for a truly transformative global treaty.
The session objectives included sharing lived experiences, contributing key inputs to the treaty, and reflecting on mechanisms for meaningful consultation throughout negotiations and implementation processes.
The dialogue was conducted in an armchair-format discussion, moderated by Jeanne D’Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment of Rwanda, and featured distinguished speakers including Marica Vazquez-Tagliero from Coop Les Valoristes in Montreal; Zuhair Ahmed Kowshik, Global Coordinator of the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP and the Global Youth Coalition on Plastic Pollution; Dalia F. Márquez Añez, Human Rights lawyer and Co-Chair of the Women’s Major Group and the Women’s Group on Ending Plastic Pollution; as well as a representative from the labor sector.
During her intervention, Dalia Márquez, speaking on behalf of the Women’s Major Group, emphasized the importance of ensuring that the treaty incorporates a human rights-based approach, environmental justice, and intersectionality, while guaranteeing the meaningful participation of women and historically marginalized communities in environmental decision-making.
The Partnership Dialogue reaffirmed the urgent need to advance toward an international framework that places people and the planet at the center, recognizing that only through inclusive and participatory governance will it be possible to effectively address the global plastic pollution crisis.