He made his call during the recent International Plastic Convention in Busan, South Korea, according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment released on Wednesday.
Hendropriyono led the Indonesian delegation at the convention's fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
This session holds significant value as it could lead to a treaty on plastic pollution at the same level as the 2015 Paris Agreement for climate change.
However, during the conference, several oil- and gas-producing countries sought to delay the agreement by postponing the start of negotiations.
In response, Hendropriyono requested the right to speak and urged all delegations to begin negotiations immediately.
"Indonesia believes we must start negotiations," he told the session. "We must maximize the time we have now to reach a good agreement in Busan."
INC-5 is scheduled to take place from November 25 to December 1. If an agreement is not reached, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will need to establish a new mandate for renegotiation next year.
On his Instagram account, Hendropriyono shared that he had met with UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen on a separate occasion. During their meeting, Andersen emphasized the importance of Indonesia’s role in global environmental efforts.
She urged Indonesia to act as a bridge between countries seeking to delay progress and the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) nations, which are pushing for ambitious targets in reducing plastic waste.
Delegates from over 175 countries attended the conference. In its discussions, INC plans to develop an internationally binding legal instrument addressing plastic management, from upstream to downstream waste handling.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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