Iran seeks flexible terms in global plastics treaty
Iran says it is ready to help draft a global treaty to curb plastic pollution, provided the agreement respects countries’ development rights, national circumstances and capacity to act.
Hamid Zohrabi, deputy head of Iran’s Department of Environment for Natural Environment and Biodiversity, outlined Tehran’s position at a meeting on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, IRNA reported.
The meeting included the director general of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organizations, the chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution and the executive secretary of its secretariat at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
According to the Department of Environment’s public relations office, Iran’s delegation emphasized the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and called for safeguards for countries’ right to development.
It urged the treaty’s negotiators to ensure adequate and predictable funding, technology transfer and capacity-building support for developing countries. It also warned against imposing uniform or unrealistic obligations on countries with different economic conditions and infrastructure.
The delegation said the agreement should be practical and implementable, allowing each country to choose measures suited to its priorities and circumstances.
Iran’s position underscores a central challenge in international environmental negotiations: balancing collective action against plastic pollution with differences in countries’ resources, infrastructure and development needs.
COP17 is taking place in Yerevan from October 19 to 30. Countries are reviewing progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and discussing ways to accelerate conservation, mobilize financial resources and strengthen international cooperation.