New Chair elected to lead negotiations on global plastic pollution treaty
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, on Saturday 7 February 2026 elected Ambassador Julio Cordano, of Chile, as the next INC Chair during the third part of the fifth session (INC-5.3).
In accepting the position, Ambassador Cordano said: “Plastic pollution is a planetary problem that affects every country, community and individual. Therefore, a treaty is urgently needed to support concerted action and bring us together to address this shared responsibility. I am willing and determined to play a leading role in helping the Committee cross the finish line.”
Following the election of Ambassador Cordano as Chair, the Committee elected Mr. Linroy Christian of Antigua and Barbuda as Vice-Chair. This session solely focused on organizational purposes to address the election of officers, with no substantive negotiations held during the resumed session.
The Committee also expressed its appreciation to current Vice-Chair, Ambassador Johanna Lissinger-Peitz of Sweden, for supporting proceedings over the past several months ahead of INC-5.3.
Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat, said: “I congratulate Ambassador Cordano on his election and look forward to supporting the Committee under his leadership as it carries forward its mandate.”
The INC process was launched in March 2022 at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), where Member States adopted a historic resolution to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
This session, held at the Geneva International Convention Centre, follows INC-5.2 in August 2025 that was also held in Geneva, Switzerland. That meeting was preceded by five INC sessions: INC-1 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November 2022; INC-2 in Paris, France, in June 2023; INC-3 in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2023; INC-4 in Ottawa, Canada, in April 2024; and INC-5.1 in Busan, Republic of Korea, in November–December 2024.
