Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad held a virtual meeting with Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen as part of informal consultations ahead of the upcoming round of negotiations for a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution. Fouad reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to the multilateral environmental system, noting the country's active role in leading and participating in several global environmental processes. She stressed that Egypt recognises the importance of building credibility within multilateral frameworks to ensure the sustainable management of the planet's natural resources. The minister also highlighted Egypt's domestic efforts to phase out single-use plastic bags, including the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms. She emphasised the need for the upcoming treaty negotiations to focus on ending plastic pollution and supporting a transitional phase that allows countries to adopt safer alternatives tailored to their national contexts, with proper means of implementation. Eriksen said ongoing informal discussions aim to prepare for the next round of negotiations in Geneva next month. These talks are intended to clarify country positions and help build consensus on treaty language. He acknowledged the varying levels of concern and approaches to tackling plastic pollution across countries and called for a robust multilateral agreement that enables states to access necessary technologies and implementation tools in their own ways. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
