Progress remained slow across Contact Groups today, as formal and informal meetings worked toward a mid-way check in Plenary on Saturday. Governments showed signs of progress on few issues, but stark divisions remain on most matters of substance.  As expected, most of the discussions of substance are shifting to informals to facilitate compromise.  These informals continue to be closed to observers.

Key insights

• Contact Group 1 began the day with back-to-back informals on Articles 5 (Design) and 3 (Products). It did not meet again until later in the day to report back on these meetings and determine what would be reported to the Saturday plenary. Of note, a small “informal informal” on Article 6 (Supply) also took place today.
• In Contact Group 2, Chair reminded Parties that contact groups need to provide status updates on different articles to the INC Chair during Saturday’s stock-take plenary. Negotiations will resume after the plenary. Article 7 (Releases and Leakages) considered a streamlined text for paragraph 1 which was supported by some Parties but not all. The report will include a footnote indicating that the submitted text neither reflects consensus, nor does it include all suggested language that Parties submitted for consideration. Of note, there was concern from parties about scope and definitions that are being considered under different articles. For Article 8 (Plastic Waste Management) no consensus was reached on any of the paragraphs and co-facilitators asked for informal to resume later in the day. Article 9 (Existing Plastic Pollution) lead shared that there was constructive exchange of concepts but need further mandate to convene additional informal sessions to advance discussions. Due to late notice of the schedule for informal, Parties involved in Article 10 could not start review of text but had constructive discussions on three paragraphs. Co-chairs of the Contact Group spent most of the time explaining what will be submitted for stock-take plenary and giving assurances that textual negotiations will resume after.
• Contact Group 3 proceeded with a comparatively positive attitude in the room, meeting in one long block for over four and a half hours. Delegates made progress adding bracketed text through paragraphs of Article 12 (Capacity Building). The Contact Group also agreed to move forward on Article 11 using a new text formulated by the Contact Group Co-Charis, based on input from an Informal meeting and other submissions on the Article.

• Contact Group 4 began the day working on Articles 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, hearing member views and adding some new text. After this, in the same session, the group began to consider the text of the preamble. CG4 met again in the afternoon to hear feedback from informal leads on updates from discussions. Brazil led discussions on Article 19 (Health) and highlighted divide between those that want a standalone article and those that prefer to integrate health text into existing articles. Somalia raised concerns on behalf of the Africa Group that their inputs are not being considered. Brazil, China, Russia and KSA have informal informals on the proposed Article 23 bis which is focused on relationship with other agreements. Brazil invited other Parties who are interested in joining.  EU provided an update on 20 bis (Subsidiary Body) indicating that the entire text is currently bracketed.