Viet Nam is now one of the four countries – together with Ecuador, Germany and Ghana – to co-organise a Ministerial Conference on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution in 2021 third quarter. The Conference is expected to advance high-level dialogues on a new international agreement that will unite and elevate national and regional actions under a coherent global strategy and framework in the lead up to the UN United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) meeting in February 2022.

The announcement was made at a high-level panel discussion facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme on March 31st 2021, following the initial pledge by Ecuador, Germany and Ghana at the Fifth Session of the UNEA in February this year (UNEA-5.1).

“With its newly announced co-convening role for the Ministerial Conference on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution together with three other countries, Viet Nam once again actualises its commitments, emerging as a champion from Asia Pacific for the development of a global treaty to stop marine plastic pollution”, said Dr. Van Ngoc Thinh, Country Director, WWF-Viet Nam.

“The unique, regional challenges of South East Asia, and – at a larger scale – Asia Pacific, in the plastic pollution crisis can only be effectively addressed by both concerted global efforts and enhancement of local measures through financial and technical cooperation mechanisms. WWF commends Viet Nam on its co-leading role in the global Ministerial Conference, as an active voice from this region in the call for a global treaty with ambitious targets and bold actions.” 

In the last three years, Viet Nam has progressively stepped up its national commitments and support for global cooperation to address plastic pollution. The country adopted a development strategy to promote maritime economy in parallel with protecting maritime environment and ecosystem, specifying “Preventing, controlling and significantly mitigating marine environmental pollution; being a regional pioneer in reducing ocean plastic waste” amongst the country’s objectives for 2030.

More than 2 million people from around the world signed the petition calling for a global treaty to stop marine plastic pollution.