The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (INC-5.2) is underway in Geneva, Switzerland, with the participation of the Armenian delegation led by Aram Meymaryan, Acting Deputy Minister of Environment. The delegation also includes Liana Papakhchyan, Head of the Hazardous Substances and Waste Policy Department of the Ministry of Environment of the RA, Arsen Nikoyan, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department, and Hambardzum Minasyan, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
Since August 12, high-level ministerial meetings have been held at the initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), during which Aram Meymaryan presented Armenia's experience and initiatives:

• The ban on the use and sale of plastic bags up to 50 microns thick, in effect since 2022;
• A new initiative to gradually ban the sale of plastic bags and single-use plastics;
• The introduction of an extended producer responsibility system as the most effective tool for the long-term development of the sector.

In his speech, Aram Meymaryan emphasized that plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. He noted that plastic waste breaks down into microplastics, which enter the air, water, and food chains, posing a serious threat to the environment, biodiversity, and human well-being.
As a party to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the host country of COP17, to be held in Yerevan in 2026, Armenia stands ready to address these interconnected challenges through joint efforts. The Deputy Minister invited representatives from all countries to take part in COP17, highlighting it as an important platform for shaping global environmental policy.