Advocates see human rights path forward for stalled plastic treaty

GENEVA (AN) — For Indigenous leaders like Frankie Orona and Heni Unwin, the disappointing outcome of the supposedly final round in the plastic treaty talks was more than a diplomatic failure; it was a repetition of a painful history of exclusion.

The stalemate resulting from the latest round of negotiations for a landmark global plastics treaty last week threw the accord's future into doubt and highlighted the deep chasm between nations on how to tackle the growing crisis.

While delegates departed Switzerland without a clear path forward, a sense of frustration was palpable among Indigenous leaders and environmental advocates who say their voices, and the communities they represent, were once again sidelined.

They argue that the very structure of the talks ignores the disproportionate harm plastics inflict on their communities and fails to incorporate ancestral knowledge that could offer solutions.

The 'violence' behind plastic

Orona, a Borrado/Tongva/Chumash leader and the executive director of the Society of Native Nations, said the talks had devolved into a "geopolitical battleground." Having attended the negotiations since their inception in Uruguay, he noted that key issues, including chemicals of concern and a just transition for affected workers, have been repeatedly pushed aside.

"We are still here having the same discussions," Orona said, adding that the treaty lacked a human rights-based approach and failed to recognize the rights of Indigenous peoples. He described the process as a form of "violence" against communities whose lands are often targeted for raw material extraction and who are left to deal with the toxic waste.

Luay Almukhtar, head of Iraq’s delegation, said that while his country would not support a treaty that reduces the production of polymers, it does support a balanced approach that addresses plastic pollution. "We try to be a bridge, in the middle," he said, adding that Iraq supports restricting some chemical additives and single-use plastics to reduce their impact.

Camila Zepeda, from Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, said it may not be feasible to get production limits at this stage. She emphasized that Mexico wants the treaty to include stronger provisions on sustainable production and consumption, and is working with Switzerland to push for an article that specifically addresses problematic plastics and chemicals.

The final moments of the talks in Geneva underscored this frustration. Both Orona and Unwin, a marine scientist from the Māori people of New Zealand, said a planned closing session for observers was cut short after the United States and Kuwait intervened. The incident, they said, was a stark reminder that their perspectives were being silenced.

"We were shut out at the door again," said Unwin, who works with the Cawthron Institute, New Zealand’s largest independent science organization. She likened the event to a moment in the 1920s when a Māori leader was denied entry to the League of Nations.

The disproportionate toll

For Indigenous communities, the plastic crisis is not an abstract concept but a daily reality. Unwin explained that her people are at the "bottom end of the statistics," bearing the brunt of the plastic life cycle from production to waste.

She described the paradox of her home country, New Zealand, which is often perceived as a pristine paradise but is heavily impacted by plastic pollution. Unwin, who walks her local beaches daily, sees them littered with trash that drifts in from the Pacific. Her own research found that mussels, a traditional food source, are ingesting microplastic fibers.

"We have a very high production of aquaculture for mussels," she said of Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand. "It shouldn't have plastics in it."

Orona explained that the violence of plastic pollution is rooted in the extraction of fossil fuels and toxic chemicals from Indigenous lands. "Plastics, 99% of all plastics is made from fossil fuels and chemicals," he noted. This process, he said, has normalized harm against communities that are often sacrificed for economic gain.

An alternative worldview

Both leaders emphasized that the negotiations are missing a fundamental perspective on humanity's relationship with the environment. They argued that a treaty focused solely on technological fixes and economic incentives will fail because it does not challenge the underlying worldview that views nature as a resource to be exploited.

"We don't see the environment being separate from human beings," Orona said. He stressed that a healthy future for all requires recognizing that human health and the environment are "one in the same."

Unwin offered a Māori proverb to illustrate this point: "The great river flows from the mountain to the sea. I am the river, the river is me." This philosophy, she explained, frames people as an integral part of the natural world, with a responsibility to care for it, rather than control it.

She also shared an additional proverb from her people: "The river is the first thought and the river is the second thought," meaning that before any decision is made, its impact on the river must be considered both for "the first time" and "the second time." In this way of thinking, Unwin said, "our environment is first and foremost before anything that we do."

As the talks head toward an uncertain future, Orona and Unwin stressed that any successful treaty must be built on the principle of partnership with and respect for Indigenous communities. Without their full participation, they say, a truly effective solution will remain out of reach.