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Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN)

Textual Insertions suggestions in preparation for the new Informal Draft Paper

29 June 2026

Context and Methodology

The textual suggestions in this document were developed by youth within YPAN's internal team, in collaboration with the Children and Youth Major Group (CYMG) to UNEP Chemicals and Waste Working Group, in preparation for the Heads of Delegation meeting (30 June to 3 July, Nairobi) and in anticipation of the Chair's forthcoming informal draft. The exercise served a dual purpose: to develop concrete, article-level contributions to the text, and to build youth capacity in treaty drafting, textual insertion, and negotiation, equipping a wider group of young people to engage directly and substantively with the Instrument.

They are the product of an internal consultative process, conducted on a focused timeline in response to the developments leading into the Heads of Delegation meeting in Nairobi, Kenya from 30 June to 3 July, 2026. They build directly on YPAN's published youth priorities, developed through a longer consultative process, and on the body of documents generated throughout the INC process to date, including the proposals advanced from INC-1 onward, the successive iterations of the draft text, the Chair's Text, and the non-papers. Because they were prepared in advance of a new Informal Draft Paper, they are necessarily anticipatory, drawing on the direction the process has taken so far. This document complements YPAN's formal response to the Chair's Guiding Questions for the Heads of Delegation meeting here, translating the priorities set out there into specific treaty text.

These suggestions are anchored in a draft text provided by Dr. Alexandra R. Harrington, drawing together previous proposals and submissions from across the negotiations, which served as the working base for our insertions. These suggestions reflect where youth see the strongest convergence and the clearest opportunities to strengthen the Instrument. They do not address every article, which is neither possible nor necessary; the priority is consistency, ensuring that youth positions are reflected coherently across the text. Nor are they intended to be final. This is a first iteration, and it does not preclude further suggestions, evolving viewpoints, or additional contributions as negotiations advance. We offer it in the spirit of constructive engagement and remain open to continued discussion and to alternative approaches that advance an ambitious outcome. As the Heads of Delegation meeting and the informal process carry the negotiations forward, the meaningful inclusion of children and youth, as rights-holders with a direct and long-term stake in the outcome, remains essential.

Textual Insertions:

Preamble

Acknowledging that plastic pollution has its disproportionate impacts on peoples in vulnerable situations such as add[children and youth], women, Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, and workers at heightened risk of occupational exposure including waste pickers, and reaffirming State commitment to respect protect and fulfil human rights in the context of efforts to address plastic pollution for the benefit of present and future generations,

Article - Definitions

Add [Non-plastic substitutes - …] Definition to be decided at future COPs

Article - Principles

In the principles the following must be included (in no particular order):

  1. Intergenerational equity and intragenerational equity;
  2. The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
  3. The use of best available science, data, information, and traditional knowledge, knowledge of Indigenous Peoples, and local knowledge systems, as reflected in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other Instruments including in international human rights law;
  4. Public participation in environmental decision-making, including full, effective and meaningful engagement by and participation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and add [children and youth] when taking action to address plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

Article - Scope

As set forth in UNEA Resolution 5/14, the Scope of this Instrument shall be

on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic add [, including associated chemicals, microplastics and nanoplastics]

Article - Chemicals of concern

Section 1) after c

Add [d The exposure of children, disabled, elderly and other especially vulnerable people to chemicals of concern] - under section 1) after c

Article - Exemptions

2) The Registry shall include:’ and below c.

  1. A list of the types of specific exemptions reproduced from Annexes ---;
  2. A list of the Parties that have a specific exemption listed under Annexes ---; and
  3. A list of the expiry dates for each registered specific exemption.

Add [d. A list of the reasons for the allowance of each exemption]

Article - Product Design, Composition and Performance

  1. Alternative plastics and plastic products
  1. The Conference of the Parties, on the recommendation of the Subsidiary Body, shall establish criteria and other elements contained in Annex ---, including, where appropriate, sector-specific or product-specific requirements add [including requirements for product labeling to ensure appropriate end-of-life disposal].

Article - Awareness-raising, education and research

1) Parties shall promote and facilitate public awareness-raising, education, and information exchange related to plastic pollution and its effects relevant to the implementation of this Instrument and shall promote, as appropriate, such efforts at the regional, national and international levels and cooperate with relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

2) Parties shall promote and facilitate measures to raise awareness, improve understanding, and share information add [based on the latest scientific findings], such as:

Article - Health

  1. Parties are encouraged to:
  1. Promote the development and implementation of strategies and programmes to identify and protect populations at risk from plastic pollution, and which may include adopting science add [and evidence]-based health guidelines relating to the exposure to plastic pollution, in particular microplastics and related issues, setting targets for their exposure reduction, where appropriate, and public education, with the participation of public health and other involved sectors;

Article - Conference of the Parties

(Text was previously agreed on in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) in 2025 by Member States)

  1. The Plenary is open to participation as observers to any United Nations entity, as well as any other body, organization or agency, whether national or international, governmental, intergovernmental or non-governmental, Indigenous Peoples [,][and] local communities, and groups in vulnerable situations, qualified in matters covered by the Panel, and which has informed the Secretariat of the Panel of its wish to be represented, subject to the rules of procedure and subject to the following provisions:

(a) Bodies, organizations and agencies that already have observer status with any United Nations system entity, consultative status with ECOSOC, or are accredited to the United Nations Environment Assembly or to any relevant multilateral environmental agreement with broad participation are considered observers of the Panel if they so request, unless at least one third of the Plenary members object;

(b) The Plenary will decide on the observer status of other observer candidates not covered by the provisions of paragraph 6(a) subject to non-objection from the members of the Plenary, as set out in relevant procedural documents³.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Alexandra R. Harrington for providing us with a draft text drawing together previous proposals and submissions from across the negotiations, which served as the working basis for this exercise, and for her guidance and assistance in developing this document. Dr. Harrington is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) Pollution Law Specialist Group and serves on the Legal Drafting Group within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, representing the delegation of Guinea-Bissau, where the Group provides legal assessment of the draft instrument. Her support has been invaluable in building youth capacity in treaty drafting and in grounding these suggestions in the text and history of the negotiations.

About The Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN)

The Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN) is a youth-led network supporting sustained, meaningful, and inclusive youth engagement in the negotiations toward an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution under the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process. Launched during INC-5.2 in August 2025, YPAN brings together young people from more than 170 countries and operates as an affiliated network of the Children and Youth Major Group (CYMG) to UNEP, which provides its administrative support.

YPAN works to ensure that the priorities, rights, and lived experiences of children and youth are reflected throughout the treaty process. Its work spans structured global consultations, capacity building in multilateral environmental negotiations, and the development of substantive contributions to the text, grounded in the principle of intergenerational equity.

For more information or questions about this document, contact admin@ypanplastics.com or YPAN Interim Chair Shellan Saling at ssaling2013@gmail.com.

To learn more about YPAN, visit https://www.cymgenv.net/ypan or https://linktr.ee/ypanplastics