Negotiators from 175 countries began negotiations on Tuesday to agree on a global treaty to reduce plastic pollution, found everywhere from mountaintops to the depths of the oceans and in human blood and breast milk.

The world is counting on us to deliver a new treaty to catalyze and drive the action and international cooperation needed to secure a future free of plastic pollution," said Luis Valdivieso, chair of negotiations at the UN-led talks in Ottawa. Canada.

"Let's not fail," Valdivieso added as he opened the meeting, which runs until April 29.

Countries agreed in 2022 to finalize the first global treaty by the end of 2024 with concrete measures to combat plastic pollution worldwide.

The meeting in Ottawa is considered crucial as it is the penultimate meeting before the final round of talks in South Korea later this year. (Marion THIBAUT, more at phys.org)