June 2 (Reuters) - After a rocky start to a week of negotiations, around 170 countries agreed to develop a first draft by November of what could become the first global treaty to curb plastic pollution by the end of next year.
The "zero draft" text would reflect options from the wide-ranging positions of different countries by the start of the next round of talks to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November.
You have done so by providing us collectively with a mandate for a zero draft and intersessional work," said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution at the closing plenary.
Countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia have favored national plans rather than global targets to tackle the problem.
Tadesse Amera, co-chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network, said with growing public concern about the plastic pollution crisis, the negotiations need to result in a strong agreement.
Persons:
Jyoti Mathur, Marian Ledesma, Amera, Valerie Volcovici, Matthew Lewis
Organizations:
Economic Co, Intergovernmental, Greenpeace Philippines, Reuters, Samoa, Ambition Coalition, Thomson
Locations:
Paris, Nairobi, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, INC, Japan, Chile, United States, Washington