Global environmental advocates are calling for a major reset in the stalled United Nations plastics treaty negotiations following the formal announcement by Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso of Ecuador that he is stepping down as chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC).
The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), a network of grassroots environmental justice groups, stated that Valdivieso’s exit leaves a critical leadership vacuum that must be filled by someone from the Global South-especially amid mounting concerns that powerful states and fossil fuel interests are undermining efforts for a strong treaty.
‘After the catastrophic leadership of INC-5.2, we need a chair willing to reflect the will of the ambitious majority in the treaty text, be independent from [UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP)] partisan and reckless stewardship of the treaty negotiations, and uphold the 5/14 mandate to cover the full life cycle of plastics,’ said Ana Rocha, Plastics Program Director at GAIA.
‘From the very beginning, the Global South has led the charge for a strong treaty-in this pivotal moment in treaty negotiations, we need that leadership more than ever. We encourage the Bureau to elect a Chair that represents the Global South vision and commitment to justice,’ Rocha added.
A broken process, not just a broken chair
While Valdivieso’s resignation has been welcomed by many campaigners, critics stress that the issue extends beyond leadership.
‘The paralysis in the UNEP-led plastics treaty negotiations stems not from who holds the gavel, but from the process itself,’ said Nadine Wahab of Sustainable Network Egypt Eco-Dahab. ‘As long as the INC continues to operate without agreed rules of procedure-and as long as decision-making remains trapped in a consensus-only model – injustice will persist.’
‘A system that allows a handful of countries to block progress denies equity to the majority of states that are ready to act,’ she added.
Wahab and other advocates from the Global South are demanding the adoption of formal rules of procedure that would enable democratic decision-making when consensus fails. Currently, the talks operate without an agreed voting system, giving effective veto power to a few opposing states-a key point of contention that many say has doomed the negotiations from the start.
‘Consensus without justice is not agreement, it’s coercion,’ Wahab added. ‘The legitimacy of the plastics treaty depends on restoring fairness and functionality to the negotiations.’
‘A wake-up call’ amid collapse
The call for stronger leadership comes just months after the fifth session of the INC-dubbed ‘INC-5.2’-in Geneva ended in chaos, confusion, and collapse, with negotiators failing to agree on a path forward.
The release of a revised treaty draft-described by observers as a watered-down text that removed key provisions on plastic production limits and chemical hazards-triggered widespread backlash, especially from African, Asian, and Latin American delegates. Some likened it to entrenching the status quo for decades.
Rafael Eudes of Aliança Resíduo Zero Brasil said Valdivieso’s announced resignation presents a rare opportunity to confront the deeper, systemic failures in the process.
‘Plastic pollution is a colonial crisis,’ Eudes said. ‘To restore legitimacy, the INC must move beyond the tyranny of consensus and empower leadership grounded in justice and science.’
‘The Bureau now has a critical role to play: ensuring transparency, resisting political pressure, and honoring the ambition that the Global South has consistently brought to the table.’
Behind the scenes: Pressure, UNEP rifts
Valdivieso’s departure was first reported by The Guardian in an exclusive published on October 7, which revealed that the Ecuadorian diplomat had already been preparing to step down amid internal tensions and behind-the-scenes pressure.
In his interview with The Guardian, Valdivieso confirmed he was resigning for ‘personal and professional reasons,’ though he acknowledged ‘some challenges in the process.’ He also lodged a formal inquiry with the UNEP, after reports surfaced that some of its staff held a covert meeting aimed at pushing him to resign-a claim that the agency has denied knowledge of.
‘This is a member state-driven negotiation, and I’ve been defending that, until the last day of my chairpersonship,’ Valdivieso said, as quoted in the report.
He maintained that the first controversial draft, which many countries rejected, was never intended to be the final version. Nevertheless, critics said it set the tone for a chaotic end to the Geneva talks.
A test for the Bureau
The Bureau of the INC, tasked with appointing a new chair, has not yet confirmed when the vote will take place. Environmental groups are urging the Bureau to select someone from a ‘high-ambition country’ and to resist further interference.
‘It is essential that they come from a high-ambition country, one that is genuinely committed to driving real change,’ said Salisa ‘Yam’ Traipipitsiriwat of the Environmental Justice Foundation Thailand.
‘[M]ore importantly, we need to monitor the process itself, which has shown to be in the way of the outcomes the world urgently needs to end the plastic crisis.’
Whether the next chair can overcome the deep procedural and political rifts remains uncertain. But for advocates, one thing is clear: the leadership-and legitimacy-of the plastics treaty process now hangs in the balance, especially as the INC prepares for a leadership transition.