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We Need the World to Support the Adoption of a Legally Binding Treaty on Plastic Pollution - Country Manager, GAYO. 

The Country Manager for the Green Africa Youth Organisation, GAYO - Uganda, Betty Osei-Bonsu has reiterated calls for a  Global Plastics Treaty that would have strong provisions that hold polluting corporations and plastic-producing countries accountable for the profound damage caused by their excessive production of plastic. This, she believes, would ensure a just transition to safer and more sustainable livelihoods for workers and communities across the plastics supply chain. According to her, such a treaty should be legally binding, time-bound, and ambitious to implement in a bid to scale up reuse, refill, and alternative product delivery systems. 

"We need global leaders to stand up for this fight. We need urgent action, dramatic interventions, and systemic transformation to avert the escalating threats to human health and the accelerating breakdown of the planet's support systems." She stressed. 

"This is from the youth and for the youth, we cannot allow our planet to sustain more pollution. What will be left of it for our unborn generation? We need the world to stand up and support the adoption of a robust, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.” She added. 

Ms Osei-Bonsu made this known at the Paris International Forum to End Plastic Pollution in Cities in Paris, France, on Friday 26 May 2023. The Forum saw Mayors from every continent, scientists, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Intergovernmental Organizations, philanthropies and companies committed to fighting plastic pollution gathered for a day of exchanges on solutions to minimize the impact of plastics on the planet. 

The Uganda Country Manager for GAYO noted that the plastic pollution crisis poses one of the most significant challenges that present and future generations would need to tackle as a matter of urgency. 

Highlighting the contribution of the Green Africa Youth Organisation in the fight to reduce plastic waste, Ms Osei-Bonsu referred to the Break Free from Plastics Campaign that was organised from March 14- 15, 2023 for over 300 young individuals from over 80 countries around the world. She indicated that the main objective was to collectively advocate for the adoption of a robust legal treaty aimed at addressing plastic pollution that is youth inclusive. According to her, the campaign featured measures to 

effectively stop the polluting cycle of plastics, from the extraction, production, and disposal where they cause grave and irreversible damage to the ecosystems,  wildlife, and human health. 

Responding to a question on the potential for youth and local communities to create momentum for a reuse movement, Ms Betty Osei-Bonsu called for the enhancement of youth capacity and opportunities to display their capabilities. 

She said: "A huge benefit of enhancing green job creation; are we can capacitate youth in upcycling of plastics like drinking water sachet bags and bottles to raincoats, handbags, aprons, and vegetable containers which in turn develop into community-based enterprises. we also engage the local artist to design coin-based refillable water dispenser stations at vantage points." 

"A case study is the GAYO Zero Waste Cities project which is enhancing community participation. This is done through awareness creation, establishing incentivised buyback centres, and enabling reuse in Ghana and Uganda." She disclosed. 

The Uganda Country Manager for GAYO stressed the need to involve major stakeholders to leverage the partnership for a cleaner and sustainable environment. 

"We create partnerships and support small and medium-scale enterprises to scale up collections within communities while bargaining for better trading market prices. We are also Influencing policy; An example is the zero-waste strategy Ghana document- it contains a proper waste management guide for municipalities. There is a need for more success stories ." She said. 

The UN Environment Assembly adopted March 2022 a landmark resolution titled “End Plastic Pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument”. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was set up and met for the first time in December 2022. The second session of the INC will be held in Paris, France, from 29 May to 2 June 2023. 

Ms Betty Osei-Bonsu recommended that following the INC negotiations, access to funding, infrastructure and enabling systems for reuse projects should be a priority. 

"There should be more awareness, partnership and grass root movements and solutions including the BFFP Reuse Revolution project and commissioning of a reuse roadmap for the transition to a reuse economy. We need inclusive policies that factor in recyclers and waste pickers to be key in terms of the cycle of waste management. And targets reusable systems within communities." She concluded. 

Some notable speakers at the forum include Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi-Kenya; H.E Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway; Hon. Jose W. Fernandez, Under-Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, U.S Department of State and Mrs Leanne Geale, General Counsel, Corporate Governance and Compliance, Nestle - South Africa. 

Others include Mr Michael Goltzman, Vice President Global Policy and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Company; Dr Jenna Jambeck, Distinguish Professor, University of Georgia; Hon. Sir. Molwyn Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation and Environment, Antigua and Barbuda; Ms Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer, Unilever; Rebecca Pow, Parliamentary under- Secretary of State, Minister for Environment Quality and Resilience, United Kingdom and Mrs Erin Simon, Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste and Business, World Wildlife Fund. 

The rest are Luis Vayas Valdiviese, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ecuador; Hon. Takeshi Akohori, Assistant Minister, Ambassador of Global Issues, Japan; Hon. Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Canada; Dr Shahriar Hossein, Founder Environment and Social Development Organisation; Dr Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariyo, Minister of Environment, Rwanda and Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peru.