International Intervensions

The Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) for the Global Plastics Treaty, held in December 2024, marked a significant step forward in the global effort to tackle plastic pollution. Delegates, policymakers, experts, and civil society organizations gathered to negotiate the details of an ambitious treaty that aims to...

The 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024, addressed critical concerns such as methane emissions, climate financing, loss and damage, and nature-based solutions. Its primary purpose was to accelerate the Paris Agreement’s implementation. The conference emphasized the role of non-state actors...

The Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) was a key player at COP29 with a focus on community-led approaches to methane mitigation and a fair transition. ESDO promotes a fair and sustainable future by highlighting effective tactics from various geographical areas and pushing for legislative improvements. The Environment and Social...

Vietnam has reaffirmed its commitment to a healthier future by advancing the phase-out of dental amalgam, a mercury-containing material used in dental fillings. On September 10, 2024, key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Health, announced a historic decision: By June 2025, all mercury-containing...

In a recent press briefing titled, “Press Briefing Ahead of Plastics Treaty Talks This August,” environmental groups worldwide urged the global community to eliminate polluting single-use sachets as part of the upcoming plastics treaty. The discussion highlighted the damaging effects of sachets on ecosystems, with particular focus on the Global...

Chemical recycling involves transforming plastic waste into chemicals or raw materials for the chemical industry through advanced methods. Unlike traditional recycling, it can process hard-to-recycle plastics, breaking them down into basic components to create high-quality materials for new products. The primary methods of chemical recycling include solvolysis, liquefaction, pyrolysis, and...

The fourteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (OEWG-14) is being held from June 25 to June 28, 2024, at the International Conference Center Geneva (CICG). This event is preceded by Bureau and regional...

At INC4, our Executive Director, Siddika Sultana, emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive treaty to address plastic pollution across its entire life cycle. Key points from her opening statement include: Focus on Mitigation: The primary focus of the treaty should be on mitigating plastic pollution through phased reductions in...

The urgency of addressing plastic pollution, which threatens ecosystems globally and exacerbates the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. It highlights the UN Environment Assembly’s pivotal decision in 2022 to develop a binding international agreement to combat plastic pollution, signaling a potential shift towards comprehensive regulation....

Dr. Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General of Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO participated as a Distinguished Speaker at the 7th Planetary Health Dialogue hosted by the Centre for Planetary Health Policy (CPHP). He shed light on the crucial topic of environmental justice in the context of chemical pollution. He emphasized the...

ESDO and GAIA are going to organize jointly a Side Event at the CoP28 titled “Mitigating Methane Emission Towards Environmental Justice” on 11 December 2023 at CoP 28 Bangladesh Pavilion: B2, Building 21, Dubai, UAE. This event examined the causes of methane emissions from the farm and municipal solid waste...

GAIA and ISWA jointly organized a side event titled “Mitigating Climate Change and Improving Public Health through Zero Waste Strategies” on 10 December 2023 at the Waste and Resources Pavilion of CoP28. ESDO’s secretary general Dr. Shahriar Hossain joined this event as a speaker and addressed plastic pollution as a...

On behalf of ESDO and IPEN, Siddika Sultana, Executive Director, ESDO has given a statement on the global plastic treaty INC-3. She stated,  “Plastic recycling is a false solution to beat plastic pollution. Since plastic products contain chemicals, recycling plastics means recycling these chemicals. Plastic recycling process discharges microplastics in...

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP-5), was held in Geneva from 30 October to 3 November 2023. During the meeting, 23 significant decisions were made to keep protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury. Dr. Shahriar Hossain,...

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global agreement to prevent exposure to mercury and its compounds for both human health and the environment, was established in 2013. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that may be released into the air and water by industrial operations, mining, deforestation, trash incineration, and...