Election of Chile’s Julio Cordano marks a critical procedural step forward and offers a chance to revive negotiations
GENEVA, February 7, 2026 — The resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.3) to advance a plastics treaty concluded today in Geneva, marking an important procedural step in the ongoing global effort to address the plastics pollution crisis. Member States held a one-day session to elect Mr. Julio Cordano of Chile as the new Chairperson to steer the negotiations going forward.
David Azoulay, Environmental Health Program Director of the Center for International Environmental Law, issued the following statement:
“We congratulate Mr. Cordano as the newly elected chair of the INC. His leadership will be essential in guiding Member States through the next phases of negotiations toward a robust and effective global plastics treaty, and in laying the groundwork for renewed, substantive negotiations.
“Since the conclusion of INC-5.2 and the resignation of the previous chair in August 2025, the plastics treaty negotiations have stalled. Although INC-5.3 did not involve substantive discussions, Mr. Cordano’s election sends a critical signal that the process can resume.
“However, while electing a chair keeps the process alive, it won’t fix what’s broken in and of itself. Today’s session was once again dominated by the same delay tactics and obstruction that have bogged down the negotiations from the beginning. The negotiations are in desperate need of a reset. For years, a small handful of States have told us that consensus is the only way to make decisions — today proved that when it matters, governments can and will use all the tools of multilateralism available to them, including voting. No more delays and no more excuses — Members of the Committee must show willingness to deliver an ambitious, legally-binding treaty that tackles plastic pollution starting at the source.”
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