UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen in #Malawi on a three day tour. She is expected to have talks with President Dr Lazarus Chakwera, senior government officials, engage players in the environment space and visit sites ravaged by Tropical Cyclone Freddy (TCF) in Blantyre.

Under her leadership, UN Member States meeting at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) last year endorsed a resolution to have a global legally binding agreement to beat plastic pollution.

“Today marks a triumph by planet earth over single-use plastics. This is the most significant environmental multilateral deal since the Paris accord. It is an insurance policy for this generation and future ones, so they may live with plastic and not be doomed by it.” said Andersen last year.

“Let it be clear that the INC’s mandate does not grant any stakeholder a two-year pause. In parallel to negotiations over an international binding agreement, UNEP will work with any willing government and business across the value chain to shift away from single-use plastics, as well as to mobilise private finance and remove barriers to investments in research and in a new circular economy,” Andersen added.

In 2015 Malawi outlawed thin plastics but take off has been on and off owing to protracted court battles between manufactures and Environmental Affairs Department before Malawi Environment Protection Authority was operationalised.

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/malawi/support-civil-society-partner-countries_en?s=107