Plastic pollution is an urgent issue that requires collective efforts from the international community to address. To tackle this problem, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) held the International Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings to create a legally binding convention on plastic production and pollution. Since 2022, four meetings have been held, with the final 5th meeting taking place in November 2024 at BEXCO, Busan, Korea.
During the ongoing INC-5 meeting, the “ZERO Plastic 2040 Youth Forum” was held at the second exhibition hall of BEXCO in Busan, on November 29, 2024. The forum aimed to share international solutions to plastic pollution and discuss ways for young people, including university students, to actively participate in the policy-making process and address the challenges involved.
Before the forum, a panel exhibition was set up at the venue to introduce ASEZ’s ZERO Plastic Campaign and the worldwide cleanup at 14 major plastic-polluted beaches and streams. Guests at the event viewed the panels, learning about ASEZ’s activities and interacting with student members.
The event proceeded with a keynote speech, panel sessions, ASEZ performances and campaign videos, expert lectures, and a Q&A session. Azmaira Alibhai, Faith & Ecosystems Coordinator at UNEP, emphasized in her keynote speech that solving plastic pollution requires a whole-society approach, and that the voices of young people must be reflected in policy development and implementation.
During the following panel discussion and expert lectures, participants discussed policy examples from various countries and the importance of youth participation. High-ranking officials from the governments of South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini shared their national efforts to combat plastic pollution, emphasizing that the active participation and actions of young people are crucial to solving the plastic pollution problem.
Mamogala Musekene, Director of the South African Department of Environment, gave an expert lecture, offering various case studies to diagnose the environmental challenges faced by South Africa and underscoring the need to address these issues. Next, Mahman Coulibaly Adamou, Director of the Niger Ministry of Environment, spoke about the importance of education in solving plastic pollution and mentioned that knowledge is the most valuable resource for both environmental solutions and economic development.
Choi Hyun-su from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies shared his thoughts, saying, “Through this forum, I’ve once again realized the severity of plastic pollution, and it was meaningful to discuss various perspectives and solutions directly with policymakers. I will actively participate in ASEZ’s awareness-raising activities and practical campaigns to fulfill my role as a leading university student in the world.”
Through this forum, ASEZ members discussed the role and efforts of university students in solving plastic pollution, focusing on the city of Busan, the heart of the efforts to address this issue. ASEZ will work with the international community to take the lead in solving the increasingly serious plastic pollution problem. The continued efforts of ASEZ are drawing attention.
