CHAIR LETTER ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

5
COMMITTEE OVERVIEW-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5
TOPIC IMPLICATIONS MICROPLASTIC WASTE ON MARINE LIFE-----------------------------------------------
5
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6
The circulation of microplastic wastes & how they enter the food chain ----------------------------------------
6
The plastic pollution crisis & the linkage effects on climate change -----------------------------------------------
7
8
SIGNIFICANT PAST ACTIONS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UN 2nd Ocean Conference (2022)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8
8
UN Water Conference (March 2023)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COP27----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9
10
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UN roadmap outlines solutions to cut global plastic pollution-----------------------------------------------------
10
Technical solutions that member states can scientifically solve plastic &
12
microplastic pollution from source to sea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15
BLOC POSITIONS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15
Asian countries and other LDCs (Least Developing Countries)----------------------------------------------------
15
The Africa Union -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16
Latin America and the Caribbean------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Europe ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16
17
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GLOSSARIES----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
BIBLIOGRAPHY-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17
CHAIR LETTER
1. LE MINH CAT TUONG

Greetings delegates,

My name is Le Minh Cat Tuong, I’m currently a senior at VNU-HCM High School for the Gifted.
It is my honor to be co-chairing with Ms. Phuong Nghi in KYMUN’23. I hope to bring you a
cathartic experience throughout the very first MUN in Khanh Hoa Province.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has long been the global authority to
prevent the decay of the environment as the innovation of technology simultaneously
showcasing. Previously, marine life has undergone severe impacts caused by microplastic waste,
which is extremely detrimental to the global health as a whole since marine life is the major
oxygen producer. Needless to say, should there be any proliferation in the economy, the
environment should therefore be protected first. We, as the chairwomen, are looking forward to
solutions from the delegates and we believe KYMUN’23 will be a decent chance where all your
voices would be heard.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Your meaningful experience is awaiting at KYMUN’23.

Sincerely,
Le Minh Cat Tuong
leminhcattuong.work@gmail.com

3
CHAIR LETTER
2. TRAN MAI CHI

Dear honourable delegates and observers,

I am Tran Mai Chi, a freshman at High School for the Gifted. It is my great honour to serve you as
a Chair of the 2023 Khanh Hoa Model United Nations Conference. I hope to make your time with
KYMUN a meaningful experience.

KYMUN23’s UNEP this year shifts our attention to the environment around us. The multitude of
hazards prompt delegates to be aware of and to have a deeper understanding of the implications
of microplastic waste on marine life. We hope you will make your voice heard and draft your
creative solutions to advance the cause.

I understand that MUN can be deemed daunting to some of the first-timers. Here is my advice: in
terms of MUN, preparation, collaboration and confidence are of the essence. A thorough read of
the provided background guide and your own research on the topics in question will provide you
with the premises on which innovative ideas can blossom. As your Chair, I will do my best to aid
you in this conference.

I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming conference.

Until then,
Tran Mai Chi.
maichitran303@gmail.com

4
COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was founded in 1972 to coordinate
environmental campaigns of the United Nations and support developing countries to pursue
environmental policies. Since its establishment, the UNEP has been the international organization
in charge of establishing the environmental agenda, fostering the consistent application of
sustainable development within the framework of the United Nations and acting as an
authoritative proponent for the environment on a global scale. Through the UN Environment
Assembly, the most influential environmental decision-making body in the world, UNEP
collaborates closely with its 193 Member States as well as representatives from civil society,
business, and other significant groups and partnerships to address environmental challenges.

The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on
the environment, with a universal membership of all 193 Member States. The Assembly meets
biennially in Nairobi, Kenya, to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop
international environmental law. Through its ministerial declaration and resolutions, the
Assembly provides leadership, catalyzes intergovernmental action on the environment, and
contributes to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UN
Environment Assembly is also the governing body of the UN Environment Programme. It has
had five sessions starting in 2014 and was preceded by the Governing Council of the UN
1
Environment Programme, which was composed of 58 member States. UNEP's mission is enabled
thanks to the voluntary support and funding of its partners which accounts for 95% of its budget.

TOPIC: IMPLICATIONS OF
MICROPLASTIC WASTE ON MARINE LIFE

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The UN Ocean Conferences first came into existence in 2017, with a view to following and
sustaining SDGs, especially SDG 14 (to conserve and sustainably manage the resources of the
ocean). According to the second UN Ocean Conference 2022, plastic waste is choking our waters,
2
and more than half of the world’s marine species may stand on the brink of extinction by 2100.
SDG Target 14.1 has stated that 80% of marine pollution is rooted from plastic. The target of
having 10% of the ocean covered in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2020 has not yet been
reached since we have only reached 8% in 2022, which highlights the urgency of combatting
plastic pollution.

There are several major contributors to the presence of a large number of plastic wastes in aquatic
environments. The first factor is the single-use practice of plastic items caused by customary
habits and lifestyles. Additionally, the trend of fast fashion among users, favored because of the
everchanging trendy fashion styles, leads to the popular consumption of cheap synthetic fibers
and clothing disposal in bodies of water, which drastically harms marine life. Policy makers have

1 "Environment Assembly," Environment Assembly, Accessed June 11, 2023,

https://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/.
2 United Nations, "UN Ocean Conference 2022: ‘Fleet’ of Solutions to Be Launched," United Nations, Accessed June 11, 2023,
https://www.un.org/en/desa/un-ocean-conference-2022-%E2%80%98fleet%E2%80%99-solutions-be-launched
5
suggested incorporating different measurements including preventative, corrective actions and
policy related solutions. In UNEA-5.2 - the resumed fifth session of the UNEA, which was
organized hybridly in Nairobi in 2022, took the theme of “Strengthening Actions for Nature to
3
Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”, presented a ministerial declaration of making
efforts to eradicate the “plastic pollution epidemic” by keeping in line with the UN Ocean
Conference (2022), UN Water Conference (2023), the Paris Agreement, and the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.

Microplastics are coming back to humankind, whether people realize it or not. Everyday plastic
uses are being absorbed into life in the ocean, posing a threat to the marine ecosystems. As
individuals, people can totally make “wiser” decisions on avoiding plastic uses, and adopt better
behaviors as human beings.

To launch the solutions to the issues regarding environmental degradation, ocean ecosystems,
and their impacts on marine life which will lead to climate change and other global issues, in
KYMUN 2023, UNEP committee expects to have constructive conversations between delegates
through diplomatic channels and calls for execution of suitable policies on this issue.

HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM

The circulation of microplastic wastes & how they enter the food chain

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles with effective diameter less than 5 mm, distributed all
over the world. Because of their small size, MPs are difficult to be identified in water and other
aquatic species. The large specific surface area leads to the absorption of organic matters, which
can act as a medium for pollutants to enter the aquatic food webs. Sea creatures mistake these
microplastics for food, which poses a threat that if plastic is to get into the food chain, are toxic
chemicals also collecting inside human-beings.4

MP debris can have a direct mechanical and chemical impact on aquatic organisms, such as
entanglement and swallowing. MPs aggregate in the digestive tract of organisms, and smaller
particles can enter and stay in the circulatory system. MPs transport chemicals to organisms, such
as polychlorinated biphenyls, which can have carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects.
They can also be bioavailable, affecting molecular and cellular pathways. Common plastics
additives such as bisphenol A, octyl phenol, nonylphenol, brominated flame retardant, boric acid,
tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphoric acid, etc., can be released during plastics degradation to the aquatic
environment. The toxic effects of the coexistence of MPs with pollutants on organisms are
uncertain, but the presence of MPs may increase the toxicity of coexisting chemicals. Lusher et al.
found that MPs in high nutrient bio-excrement and tissues of different coastal habitats can be
accompanied by nutrient transfer when they are ingested directly. Setala et al. also found that the
nutrient migration took place after three hours of contact between macroplankton and

3 Ministerial declaration of the United Nations Environment Assembly at its fifth session, UN Environment Document Repository
Home. Accessed June 11, 2023.
https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/39728
4 United Nations, "Navigating Our Way Towards a Plastic-Free Ocean," United Nations, Accessed June 11, 2023,
https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/navigating-our-way-towards-plastic-free-ocean

6
medium-sized plankton-ingesting polystyrene MPs.5

However, some researchers believe that MPs can be rapidly purified in organisms, but the
possibility of having a great impact on high nutrient level organisms is small. The residence time
and accumulation of MPs in biota is an important factor affecting trophic transfer. For aquatic
organisms, the concentration of MPs in the ingested environment may not be high, but due to
their retention and accumulation, the concentration in the body will be higher than that in the
environment. The residence time of MPs varied in different organisms and different organs of the
same organism, but generally shorter than those in blood. Different ways of ingesting MPs also
lead to different residence time in organisms, and the effect of adsorption - desorption kinetics
between MPs and pollutants in organisms is still unknown. The ecological risk assessment of MPs
still needs to be further studied.6

The plastic pollution crisis & the linkage effects on climate change

The presence of MPs is remotely linked to climate change in many ways. Firstly, MPs depletes a
significant amount of O2 and potentially increases greenhouse gas, demonstrated by their effects
on algae. Given their photosynthetic efficiency, algae is a crucial oxygen producer and CO2
mitigator of the environment (1 kilogram of algae can assimilate up to 1.38 kilograms of CO2).
Certain concentration levels of MPs prevents algae growth, decreases photosynthesis by
inhibiting chlorophyll, causes oxidative stress, and disrupts algae population. The toxicity of MPs
varies depending on the characterizations of MPs, and MPs with smaller particles and positive
surface charges are proportionally more toxic to algae.

On the other hand, the increase of climate change can in turn further exacerbate the situation of
microplastics. As atmospheric temperature rises, ice melt and rising sea levels, along with more
frequent precipitation consequently lead to more coastal flooding. This flushes MPs from soil to
water bodies. Winds growing in strength are predicted to pave the way for more terrestrial
environments to be blown into waterways. Debris that is littering shorelines will also become
available for transport as these areas are inundated by rising seas.

Increase Precipitation and flooding

UV light accelerates aging of MPs
runoff by frequent precipitation, floods and alpine glaciers meltin

For crustaceans the mortality rate increases with the exposure dosage, and the intake of MPs can
lead to development retardation, decreased fecundity and delayed molting. Bivalves are self-
sufficient and have other selection mechanisms such as pre-feeding of lip flaps, gastric post-
feeding selection.

5 University of Adelaide, Oluniyi Solomon Ogunola, and Thavamani Palanisami University of Newcastle. "Microplastic in the Marine
Environment: Current Status, Assessment, Methodologies, Impacts and Solutions." Last modified January 2016.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303870057_Microplastics_in_the_Marine_Environment_Current_Status_Assessment_
Methodologies_Impacts_and_Solutions
6 "The Problem of Plastic Waste and Microplastics in the Seas and Oceans: Impact on Marine Organisms," Sciendo, Accessed June 11,
2023,
https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/cjf-2019-0005

7
SIGNIFICANT PAST ACTIONS

UN 2nd Ocean Conference (2022)

The UN 2nd Ocean Conference was held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2022 and co-hosted by the
7
governments of Kenya and Portugal. In this conference, the role of the ocean, as a fundamental
pillar to support life on Earth and consequently, our future, was emphasized through the
declaration named “Our ocean, our future, our responsibility”. Furthermore, the importance of
implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was also reiterated.

In terms of the current state of the ocean, all parties in the conference expressed concern, and
unanimously called for a range of “science-based and innovative actions and international
8
cooperation and partnerships based in science, technology and innovation”, including:

Adequately informing all stages of ocean management.

Carry out measures to ensure the sustainability of aquaculture in general, in turn to
ensure quality seafood.
Ensure that all kinds of land-based and sea-based marine pollution (including,
but not limited to untreated wastewater, hazardous substances, artificial water
noise, shipwreck pollution) are prevented, reduced and controlled.
Creating and applying area-based management tools, including marine protected
areas that are managed fairly, ecologically representative and interlinked together.
Draw up and implement mitigative plus adaptive measures to climate change, and
measures that deal with damage, reduce disaster risk and increase resilience.

UN Water Conference (March 2023)

The UN Water Conference, held from 22 to 24th of March, 2023, was the largest-ever gathering of
9
Member States and stakeholders to deliberate on water. There, it was made clear that a mindset of
“Keep calm and carry on” was not suitable for the currently-unfolding global water crisis, and
that transformational change was needed.

The conference brought about nine “game-changers”, those most relevant to the topic outlined
below:

By 2030, national and global water and climate policies will be integrated.
By 2030, the Global Water Information System will be in operation to support
water, climate and land management for socioeconomic resilience, ecological
sustainability and social inclusion.

7 United Nations, "About | UN Ocean Conference | United Nations." United Nations. Accessed June 8, 2023,
https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022/about
8 United Nations. "Report of the 2022 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14:
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development." Accessed June 8, 2023.
https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022/documentation
United Nations. "PGA77 Summary for the UN 2023 Water Conference." Accessed June 8, 2023.
8
9

https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/documentation
 A Global Water Education Network will be established to build the capacity of
institutions and people, especially to support developing countries.
Regular intergovernmental meetings on water are to be held.

COP27

The 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, also known as COP27, was held from
November 6 until November 20, 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Here are some of the takeaways
10
from COP27:

A dedicated fund for loss and damage was established

A clear intention to keep warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius was maintained.
Businesses and institutions to be held accountable
Additional financial support for developing countries is made available
The pivot towards implementation is made.

11
Regarding oceans, COP27 has, in their Implementation Plan, stated that “future dialogues on the
ocean and climate change will be convened by two co-facilitators selected by Parties biennially”
and that “Parties are encouraged to to consider, as appropriate, ocean-based action in their
national climate goals and in the implementation of these goals, including but not limited to
nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies and adaptation communications.” In
short, COP27 has greatly empowered regular talks on ocean problems and encouraged the action
of stakeholders.

2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development

12
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched on 25-27 September 2015 and was
developed for the purpose of completely eliminating all forms of poverty. Furthermore, the
Agenda’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and their 169 subordinate targets, “seek to
realize the human rights of all and achieve gender equality”.
Regarding the topic at hand, the Agenda’s Goal 14 is as follows: Conserve and sustainably use the
oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Some of its subordinate targets
are as follows:

14.1: All kinds of marine pollution, notably those created by land-based activities,
such as marine debris and nutrient pollution will be prevented and significantly
reduced by 2025.
14.2: Sustainable management and protection of marine and coastal ecosystems are
to be carried out by 2020 to avoid adverse impacts, by increasing their resilience,
and take restoration measures in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

10 "Five Key Takeaways from COP27 | UNFCCC," Accessed June 9, 2023,

https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/conferences/sharm-el-sheikh-climate-change-conference-november-2022/five-key-
takeaways-from-cop27.
11 United Nations. "Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan." Accessed June 9, 2023.

https://unfccc.int/documents/624444?
gclid=Cj0KCQjw1rqkBhCTARIsAAHz7K0TFrQ2HFg69i_EYJy6LTgYJZoMq4LyaFpCuP9BQPSKzAvvdfaAstUaAu1iEALw_wcB
12 "Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | Department of Economic and Social Affair," Sustainable
Development, Accessed June 9, 2023,
https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda 9
 14.c: By implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, greatly increase
the level of conservation and sustainable usage of oceans and their resources.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

UN roadmap outlines solutions to cut global plastic pollution

UNEP recently laid out a map on a report of global agreement to beat plastic pollution with an
aim to reduce plastic pollution by 80% by 2040, which requires intergovernmental support on
making deep policy and market shifts using existing technologies. The report suggests first
eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastics to reduce the size of the problem. Therefore, the
report calls for three market shifts – reuse, recycle and reorient and diversify products:

Reuse: Promoting reuse options, including refillable bottles, bulk dispensers, deposit-return-
schemes, packaging take-back schemes etc., governments must help build a stronger business
case for reusables so that they can reuse 30% of plastic pollution by 2040
Recycle: Recycling ought to develop into a more reliable and lucrative business. The proportion
of commercially recyclable plastics would rise from 21 to 50% by eliminating subsidies for fossil
fuels, imposing design requirements to improve recyclability, and other methods.
Reorient and diversify: Careful substitution of products manufactured from alternative materials
(such as paper or compostable materials) with products made from conventional materials (such
as plastic wrappers, sachets, and takeaway items) can result in an extra 17% reduction in plastic
pollution.

These three market shifts can be more systematically described in several methods to reduce
plastic pollution, especially microplastic ones:

Implement a circular policy in terms of plastic usage

The majority of plastic (and microplastic) waste is spawned by single-use plastic products. To
stop plastic-based products from being mindlessly disposed of into waterways, policymakers
must “close the loop” - that is, to produce legislation aimed at extending and connecting the life
cycles of various products with the goal of preventing disposal and overexploitation of raw
resources.

This method requires great cooperation and standardization in plastic production and processing,
as many products contain various polymers that complicate recycling efforts. Furthermore,
governments should also make sure that plastic manufacturers adhere to a strict and unified set
of rules, aimed at the life cycle extension of products and facilitation of post-discard processing.
The recycling industry is a major player in circular policies; therefore, companies and
governments alike must cooperate to provide financial, technical and legislative support. It must
be mentioned that unification in all processes is key to the effective operation of circular policies,
as any difference in methodology may cause a bottleneck. For example, recycling laws in
countries may differ, and that may lead to the disposal of otherwise perfectly reusable products
or the recycling of low-quality plastic. To combat these discrepancies, stakeholders, government
and private alike, should be held financially accountable for their failure to share a common

10
framework regarding plastic production. Finally, a common framework, mainly concerned about
the environmental effects of these aforementioned steps, should be constructed.

The results of circular policy implementation can be briefly listed as follows:

Reduce the amount of produced plastic and disposed plastic as deliberate

reusability-centered design principles applied onto plastic products mean they now
stay in circulation for longer.
Reduce the exploitation of raw resources needed to produce plastic, thus protecting
already-fragile ecosystems from being outright destroyed and reducing general
pollution worldwide.
Pave the way for multi-stakeholder and private-governmental cooperation, thanks
to the regulation of processes mentioned above.

Increase consumer awareness

In order to raise awareness regarding the harm that microplastics cause to marine life, it is
imperative that the general populace be presented with crystal-clear plans and be given adequate
resources to acquire relevant knowledge. For example, pathways to a greener lifestyle could be
drawn up and disseminated to the populace through social media platforms. Note that education
is a very important player in this process - therefore, teachers and students should be empowered
as much as possible to look into the detrimental effects of microplastic. This could be achieved
through excursions to polluted zones for first-hand knowledge, or visits to fish processing
facilities.

However, awareness does not mean eschew plastic entirely - given the fact that single-use plastics
are extremely polluting, the public’s focus should be on these products, not ones that are
designed to last. To demonstrate, water jugs are generally useful both in the short and long term,
and to completely reject the product in favor of considerably more expensive and fragile glass
water bottles is anything but sound. That, however, does not mean that disposable, 500ml plastic
bottles are also deserving of preservation. In short, the public should be made to fight against the
production of single-use and fast-moving plastic products, not ones that are intended for long-
term usage.

Another approach to the informing of the public is through carefully-conducted, peer-reviewed

medical studies on the effects of microplastic waste on seafood and personal health quality. These
findings, if published and spread quickly through national news carriers, will be effective in
“scaring” the people into using less plastic. It should be noted that for academic research on
microplastic waste to be of any efficacy on the general populace, it should be disseminated in an
easy-to-digest form and is not complicated by scientific jargon. In this context, then, scientists,
doctors and educators should work hand-in-hand to ensure that the right information is getting
to the right people in the right way.

Strengthen related legislation

Last, but by no means least, should be reinforcing laws and policies related to microplastic
pollution. It must be made clear that irrespective of the efficiency of any technical solution, a
weak legal framework is sure to result in the worsening of microplastic pollution. That being

11
 15
said, policymakers should consider the implementation of the following (types of) measures:

Source-directed measures: policies and legislation aimed at increasing the

sustainability of plastic manufacturing and decreasing its ability to fragment and
degrade in bodies of water.
Use-oriented measures: policies and legislation aimed at determining the best way
of using plastic so as to not create microplastic waste and prevent releases of
microplastic into the environment.
End-of-life measures: policies and legislation aimed at providing safe storage and
preventing waste leakage (which could contribute to microplastic pollution).
End-of-pipe approaches: policies and legislation aimed at preventing plastic waste
traveling from waterways / pipes into the ocean.

Internationally agreed policies can assist in overcoming the constraints placed on national
business and planning, sustaining a thriving circular global plastics economy, opening up
business opportunities, and generating employment. These may include established standards for
plastic items that could be banned as well as a global fiscal framework to set monitoring systems
and finance mechanisms and achieve economies of scale for solutions.

Policymakers have a crucial role in carrying out and are urged to adopt a strategy that
incorporates regulatory tools and policies that address behaviors throughout the life cycle, as
these are mutually reinforcing in the effort to alter the economy. The Second Session of
16
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution, developing an
internationally binding instrument, took place in the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France
from 29th May to 2nd June in 2023. This instrument aims to provide policymakers with a
fieldwork to discuss on plastic pollution and adopt a joint political framework to complete the
negotiations of SDGs by the end of 2030. Particularly, this is a comprehensive approach to the
17
previous UNEA-5.2 as a historic resolution to halt and reverse the trend of plastic pollution" by
taking a more specific and targeted approach to addressing the issue.

Technical solutions that member states can scientifically solve plastic

& microplastic pollution from source to sea

The sea is spontaneously responding to environmental changes in its utmost sentimental way. As
plastic is crucial to humankind, prohibiting plastic products and cleaning up microplastics is
fairly impossible. Instead, a more important question to ask is that how could we stop plastic
from getting into the ocean and entering the food chain, and essentially “turn off the tap”. If,
through our scientific work at sea, we can identify what plastics are present in the ocean and trace
them back to where they came from, we may also be able to pinpoint where the solutions lie.

As delegates represent the government (and by extension, the policymakers) of different

countries of the world, not technical and scientific communities / groups / committees, this

15 "Home," OECD ILibrary, Accessed March 27, 2023,

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/92f53a72-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/92f53a72-en
16 "Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution," UNEP - UN Environment Programme, Last modified May
25, 2023,
https://www.unep.org/about-un-environment/inc-plastic-pollution
17 UNEA Resolution 5/14 entitled “End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument”, UN Environment
Document Repository Home, Accessed June 17, 2023,
https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/39812/OEWG_PP_1_INF_1_UNEA%20resolution.pdf 12
section will mainly cover the legislative and other policy-related measures to remove microplastic
waste in large bodies of water. However, it is still beneficial for delegates to review some
technical solutions to the problem.

In 2020, the UNEP and the International Management Institute (IWMI) have jointly developed a
review to pave the way for policymakers and practitioners on executing suitable solutions to the
18
ongoing crisis regarding plastic pollution. The report divides solutions based on the procedure of
moving microplastics from source to sea, more detailedly:

Section A: To prevent wastewater contamination at source, intergovernmental

organizations should agree on the policies to control the design of quality textiles &
household/laundromat treatment
Section B: To treat wastewater and run-off before the treatment plant, stormwater
retention ponds, gully pot, and infiltration basin should be held carefully
Section C: On wastewater, sewage sludge, and landfill leachate treatment
technologies, primary treatment (adaptable for both plastic and microplastic waste),
secondary treatment, tertiary treatment, sewage sludge treatment, industrial or
leachate water treatment should be taken seriously by jointly support from
countries and continents
Section D: To treat receiving waters downstream of discharging points, governors
should focus on wetlands and other drinking water treatment

Generally speaking, measures against microplastic pollution can be categorized into two main
groups: preventative and corrective. Delegates can look up the report mentioned above for clearer
description of how to prevent microplastics from source to sea. Moreover, the general measures
are briefly described as follows.

Preventative measures

Preventative measures, in general, are actions that are done in order to prevent failure of a
system, or the subsequent negative effects. In this context, preventative measures are actions that
can stop plastic from entering and disintegrating in bodies of water, or to prevent the production
of additional plastic.

Phase out single-use plastics

Given the undeniable importance of plastics in daily life and in multiple industries, it would be
infeasible (and potentially too extreme) to completely negate plastic usage. It is important,
19
however, to note that out of the 300 million tons of plastic produced each year half of it is single-
20
use. Among that amount, at least 14 million tons end up in oceans annually. Therefore, to limit
the microplastic entering bodies of water, single-use plastic production should be minimized, or
eliminated entirely.

18 "Water Pollution by Plastics and Microplastics: A Review of Technical Solutions from Source to Sea," UNEP - UN Environment
Programme, Last modified December 29, 2020,
https://www.unep.org/resources/report/water-pollution-plastics-and-microplastics-review-technical-solutions-source-sea
19 "Single-Use
Plastics 101," NRDC, Accessed March 27, 2023,
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101
20 Staff,
EDN, "Fact Sheet: Single Use Plastics," Earth Day, Last modified April 6, 2022,

13
https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-single-use-plastics
Install capture nets in riverine areas

It is virtually impossible to ensure that everyone in a given region adheres to littering and
recycling laws (if there are any); therefore, local governments should be prepared to intercept
waste being thrown away illegally. Nets are cost-effective and passive ways to stop plastic
pollution from traveling downstream (into larger bodies of water, or oceans) while being
minimally impactful on the flow of the river. However, marine animals living in the region may
be affected by the “aggregate plastic dam” formed by this method; therefore, capture zones
should be monitored and cleaned up routinely to prevent interference.

Pioneer quick-degradation or biodegradable plastic

Realistically, some plastic will eventually reach the ocean, where little to no human intervention
could be carried out, due to the effects of currents constantly transporting plastics away and the
geographical distances involved. Given the context, to eliminate or reduce microplastic pollution,
these materials should be made to readily and fully degrade in natural conditions. For example,
in 2020, scientists from Cornell University synthesized a new type of plastic that could degrade in
21
presence of UV radiation (or, in other words, sunlight).

Corrective measures

Corrective measures, in this context, are solutions that primarily aim at the active elimination of
microplastic waste present in water bodies.

Filtration of polluted water

Leading water contaminated by microplastic through water filtration systems can considerably
reduce concentrations of the pollutant. For small volumes of water, this method could be carried
out with a reasonably low cost and high efficiency. Furthermore, filtration systems could be
integrated into waste-catching nets (mentioned above) to increase the efficiency of waterway
cleanup. However, as we approach oceanic scales, filtration becomes infeasible due to the massive
volumes of water involved, as well as the exorbitant costs to establish, run and maintain
appropriately-sized processing facilities. The installation (construction) of such facilities could
even cause other forms of pollution for the local environment. Therefore, execution of this
method should be carefully considered.

Deployment of cleanup vehicles

Boats or barrier systems made specifically for the purpose of cleaning up plastic waste are
popular methods to reduce pollution (The Ocean Cleanup Project). While it must be mentioned
that these vehicles cannot (for now) directly remove microplastic pellets from oceans, they can
extract the yet-to-be-degraded chunks of plastic. This would prevent increases in microplastic
concentration in seawater, as now the sources (intact waste) are removed. These vehicles are
generally more effective on coastlines and rivers, as the plastic waste found in those regions are
relatively intact (has not broken down).

21 "Chemists Create Faster-degrading Plastic for Marine Uses," Cornell Chronicle, Accessed March 27, 2023,
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/04/chemists-create-faster-degrading-plastic-marine-uses 14
Clump and skim 22

This method operates mainly by the concept of flocculation. A tank of water is first collected, then
spun until a vortex forms. Flocculation agents are then added (in one case, hybrid silica gel) to
aggregate microplastic pellets into large chunks, which can be removed easily. One major
advantage of this method is that it can be done without chemicals, as bioflocculants (okra
powder) can be prepared very easily and have high efficiency, reducing cleanup costs.
Furthermore, the aggregate pellets could even be recycled and brought back into circulation, thus
extracting additional value out of these pollutants. This method seems to be of the cleaner, and
more promising methods to extract microplastic pollution from oceans, however, it still needs
additional testing.

BLOC POSITIONS

Asian countries and other LDCs (Least Developing Countries)

The Asian continent currently has a population of 4.5b and is still rising during the writing of this
document. The massive number of people living in Asia pollute a lot - in fact, Asia is responsible
for 81% of all plastic dumped into the ocean. Furthermore, Asia is the hub for 51% of all plastic
production globally. Not to mention the fact that China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and
Thailand are the top five countries solely located in the Southeast Asian region that make more
than half of the plastic wastes in the ocean. The rising trends in rapid urbanization, rising middle
class and inadequate infrastructure for waste management force governments to take into
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consideration realistic action. A list of economic and social impacts pertaining to populations
should be well-drafted as well as education to increase the awareness of Asian people in terms of
impacts that microplastic has on their food and life quality. For industry, which is regarded as the
major concern, it is highly recommended to modernize plastic manufacturing and phase out
inefficient, polluting and wasteful processes. Governments, on the other hand, should fund the
construction and installation of barriers, establishment of cleanup projects and the integration of
pollution education into classrooms.

The Africa Union

Despite being the least developed continent in the world by a large margin, the African economy
is still on the rise and is called, by some international business observers, as the “future economic
growth engine of the world”. It is highly likely that in the future, Africa will begin to produce
way more plastic to support its growth. Africa also has an extremely long coastline that meets the
Atlantic ocean, where there exists the South and North Atlantic Garbage Patch. Even though
there is lots of research about the impacts of plastics on marine life, the knowledge is mostly
unknown with most information restricted to South Africa. Most of the current data, however,

22 "Evaluationof Mucilage and Powder of Okra As Bio-flocculant in Water Treatment," SciELO Colombia- Scientific Electronic Library
Online, Accessed March 27, 2023,
https://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0120-100X2019000200053&lng=en&nrm=iso
23 Saunders,Rebecca, "Why Asia Needs to Wake Up to Plastic Waste in Our Oceans." South China Morning Post. Last modified May 8,
2023.
https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3219522/why-asia-needs-wake-plastic-waste-our-oceans-
and-how-banning-single-use-items-would-be-vital-step

15
 24
focuses on the presence, distribution and source determination of marine litter. This fact makes
Africa a very suitable yet challenging site to implement preventive measures and for either
governments and environmental NGOs to work out of. Given these advantages, Africa should
place its focus on technological intervention to make use of data collection; further educate the
population about the effects of microplastic waste as well as create frameworks to assure that
future plastic are produced “cleanly” and to standardize plastic products, with the focus being on
extending its life cycle.

Latin America and the Caribbean

In terms of the overall state of the economy, these countries are comparable to that of Asia - that
is, plastic pollution is still quite prevalent as an after-effect of its economic growth. Similar to
Africa, the Latin American and Caribbean countries are in close proximity to major garbage
patches, which provide many opportunities for the systematic study of microplastic
concentration, and its effect on marine fauna. Its focus, then, should be a mix between the African
and Asian objectives. However, it is important to note that many (not all) countries in the
concerned region have high corruption rates. Therefore, delegates must also consider ways to
prevent the embezzlement of funds, or the dereliction of duty that may interfere with the
implementation of environmentally-focused legislation.

The Europe

Being fairly developed generally, Europe has taken many actions in reducing their plastic waste
and has achieved some success in its journey, with its total plastic usage in 2019 ranking 3rd at
25
13.8%, compared to the US with 18.3% and China’s 20.4%.

It must be noted, however, that developed countries often export their plastic waste to
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developing countries for processing. In the case of Europe, out of the 33m tons of plastic
exported, 14.7m tons went to Turkey, followed by Egypt (1.9 million tonnes), Switzerland (1.7
million tonnes), United Kingdom (1.5 million tonnes), Norway (1.4 million tonnes), Pakistan (1.3
million tonnes), Indonesia (1.1 million tonnes)... While not an illegal activity, Europe should take
into consideration the waste disposal process of these developing countries, so that the exported
trash is guaranteed to be disposed safely, not thrown haphazardly into the ocean, or buried /
burned hastily. Furthermore, European countries should make sure that receiving countries are
prepared to deal with the waste in an efficient manner, and not only focus on getting rid of the
waste. This is because some developing countries, in their quest for economic growth, may
overload themselves with exported waste in return for money. If that waste is not processed soon
enough, an ecological disaster may happen. Therefore, it is also the responsibility of European
countries to make sure that waste is being processed.

24 "Impacts and Threats of Marine Litter in African Seas." SpringerLink. Accessed June 17, 2023.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-08626-7_3
25 "Plastic
Consumption Share Worldwide by Region." Statista. Last modified March 6, 2022.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1002005/distribution-plastic-consumption-worldwide-by-region/
26 "What Are the Main Destinations of EU Export of Waste?" Language Selection | European Commission. Last modified May 25,
2022.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20220525-1

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With their technological and economic capabilities, Europe should also lead research efforts into
microplastic and disseminate the information to other countries, ensuring greater international
understanding of the problem at hand. Finally, Europe should also cooperate with developing
countries technologically and economically.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. How do microplastics enter the food chain? What are the consequences of their
presence in the global food chain?

2. Which country/continent should be held most responsible for plastic pollution? How
should it/they be in charge of executing suitable policies following the COP27 outlines?

3. What next steps should be taken in the UNEA-6 conference regarding the outcomes of
UNEA-5.1 and UNEA-5.2?

4. What are some of the policies that underdeveloped/developing/developed countries

can execute to follow the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development, especially SDG 14?

GLOSSARIES
MPs (Microplastics): plastic particles with effective diameter less than 5 mm, difficult to be
identified in marine species because of its size
MPAs (Marine Protected Areas): a section of the ocean where a government has placed limits on
human activity
SUPs (Single-use plastic products): products made from plastic that are used once then get
thrown away
Marine life: the ecosystem in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal
estuaries

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