This Wednesday, 2nd November 2022, Ambassador Marie Chantal Rwakazina delivered remarks at the Briefing on the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, an event co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Ecuador, Norway, Peru, Rwanda and Switzerland to the UN in Geneva.

The objective of the briefing was to inform about the important work of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, notably in advance of the First session of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (INC1).

In her remarks, Ambassador Rwakazina shared that Rwanda has 18 years of  experience in the fight against plastic pollution through various policy measures including the banning of single-use polythene plastic bags in 2008, and the transformative law which began phasing out all single-use plastics which was passed in 2019, among others.

Ambassador Rwakazina also emphasised the importance of joining hands to end Plastic Pollution. ‘’Plastic pollution is a global threat to which existing policies and frameworks have not provided adequate remedy. Bold steps need to be undertaken timely. A global crisis calls for global solidarity’’. Ambassador said.

 The High Ambition Coalition is Co-Chaired by Norway and Rwanda as announced during UNEA5.2. It is a group of like-minded countries that has taken the initiative to form a coalition of ambitious countries following the adoption of resolution 5/14 “End Plastic Pollution: Towards an International Legally Binding Instrument” by the UN Environment Assembly in March 2022. 

The High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution is committed to developing an ambitious international legally binding instrument based on a comprehensive and circular approach that ensures urgent action and effective interventions along the full lifecycle of plastics and its common ambition is to end plastic pollution by 2040.