On a crisp winter morning in Brest, France, African island innovation stood proudly on the global stage. What began months ago as a bold idea within the IslandPlas project — had now reached the world’s largest Ocean Hackathon arena. 

By Genovefa Feksi

In 2022, UNEA 5 adopted a resolution mandating the development of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Three years later, plastic pollution was still a central topic in Nairobi, where IUCN led a legal training on the matter for a…

The IslandPlas Challenge team has been awarded first place at the 2025 Ocean Hackathon Africa in Cape Town for their innovative solution, Uber Plastic, a digital system designed to create value along the PET bottle recycling chain. 

Mauritius has taken a decisive step toward ending plastic pollution with the validation of its Roadmap for a Plastic Pollution-Free Mauritius. This strategic framework will guide the country’s transition to a circular and sustainable plastic economy.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 12 October 2025 (IUCN) – The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 Changemakers embody a new generation of visionary leaders who are eager to tackle the world’s toughest conservation challenges. By creating and scaling cutting-edge solutions to…

The fifth resumed session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee on an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2), concluded on 15 August without…

A series of national workshops under the “Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap” initiative, implemented by IUCN with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), has set the stage for the Caribbean…

IUCN expresses its disappointment in the 13 August 2025 Chair's Text, as it is a significant retreat from what could have been developed from the 1 December Chair’s Text and in negotiations this week in Geneva. As the INC-5.2 negotiations continue toward their final scheduled date, we reiterate …

Today, on International Youth Day, the United Nations’ office at Geneva, the Palais des Nations is alive with calls for courage, inclusion, and ambition as youth from around the world press negotiators to deliver an ambitious treaty capable of ending plastic pollution. 

Plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, and human health are interconnected issues that require coordinated responses across multiple international environmental agreements, including the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions and the future Plastics Treaty, but have also to be aligned…