Micronesia urges completion of a global treaty to end plastic pollution

Vice President Aron Palik highlighted plastic pollution's disproportionate impacts on small island governments, noting lagoons and shores where debris accumulates and local cleanups and emergency responses (such as oil leaks linked to WWII remnants) that burden limited waste infrastructure. He called on richer partners to provide technical assistance and sustained funding.

Palik urged the international community to complete negotiations on "a new treaty to end plastic pollution, including the marine environment," and asked for stricter upstream control of plastic production and an end to waste exporting. He linked this demand to equitable responsibility and capacity building so that local action can be complemented by global measures.