The Challenges Faced by the International Community in Drafting a Global Plastics Treaty and Thailand’s Proposals Regarding the Treaty’s Formulation
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The plastic crisis is a severe global issue that affects all nations. In response, the international community has endeavored to establish a Global Plastics Treaty. Although the most recent round of negotiations took place in Busan, South Korea, from 25 November to 1 December 2024, the treaty has yet to be concluded due to ongoing conflicts among states. This article aims to address three main objectives: First, to analyze inter-state conflicts that hinder the successful formation of the Global Plastics Treaty; second, to examine the limitations of existing treaties; and third, to explore Thailand’s role and proposals in this context. As for the inter-state conflicts, each group of states holds differing interests, making it difficult to reach a compromise. A key limitation of existing treaties is that they do not specifically focus on addressing the plastic problem. Regarding Thailand’s role and proposals, the author argues that Thailand has played a significant role in the treaty negotiations from the outset. Furthermore, Thailand’s proposals align with the life-cycle approach to plastic management.
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