Speaking at the Ministerial Policy Dialogue on the protection of human health and the environment from the harmful effects of plastic pollution in Africa, Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to continue participating in international and regional efforts to combat plastic pollution in all environmental media.
Plastic pollution is a major challenge facing humanity today because of its serious threat to the environment and ecosystems and its transboundary nature, the Minister said, noting that this pollution leads to significant economic losses, particularly in vulnerable sectors such as fisheries and tourism.
Admittedly, Africa produces only 5% of the world’s plastic and consumes 4%. Nevertheless, the continent is suffering the consequences, Ms. Benali lamented, pointing out that if no action is taken, plastic production and consumption will increase globally and in Africa in the coming decades.
Faced with this challenge, the international community has committed to launch negotiations for the adoption of a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution by 2024, within the framework of the United Nations Environment Assembly, the Minister announced.
“We are pleased that discussions on substantive issues, scope and objectives, commitments, voluntary and control measures, and means of implementation have already begun, and that we should have a zero draft of the treaty for discussion at the 3rd session next November on African soil,” Benali said.
She further noted that these substantive discussions “require us as Africa to ensure that this agreement contributes to the strengthening of waste management systems, access to adequate financing, technology transfer and capacity building, especially on our continent.”
The Minister also underlined the need to work towards an African Regional Plan that takes into account the needs and specificities of Africa and provides strategic orientations for better plastic waste management and a transition towards a circular economy in Africa, while ensuring job creation and economic development in our countries, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2063 Agenda “The Africa We Want”.
Benali also called for improved systems for collecting information and producing reliable data on the continent (quantities produced, types, waste management methods, etc.).
This data will not only allow us to have a realistic picture of the situation in Africa, but will also allow us to better target science-based solutions to this problem, given the specificities of our continent compared to the rest of the world,” she explained.
