IslandMUN 2026

Topics

1. Plastic Pollution In The Worlds Oceans - ADDRESSING THE GREAT PACIFIC
2. Plastic Pollution In The Worlds Oceans - PREVENTING FUTURE GARBAGE PATCHES

About the committee

TOPIC 1 ADDRESSING THE GREAT PACIFIC The great pacific garbage patch has both significant impact on the wildlife and human economy due to different kinds of reasons including but not limited to it affecting marine wildlife such as turtles which consume plastic bags from the patch since they can differentiate them from jellyfish, there’s also the concern that this patch is one of the larger producers of macro- and microplastics those often microscopic particles end up in all forms of local wildlife, but also fish farms. We humans consume those animals which causes us to absorb those plastics. While there are no current short-term studies that prove that the human body gets harmed by microplastics, researchers believe that long term studies will show a negative impact on a human's physical health. The accumulation of the plastics and the external influences can act as catalysts for chemical reactions that produce toxic glasses also called ecotoxins. Those ecotoxins reduce fertility of sperm and also act as potent carcinogens for primarily breast cancer. TOPIC 2 PREVENTING FUTURE GARBAGE PATCHES The dangers and problems caused that decided this ending up as topic 2 are the same as topic 1. The United Nations has talked a lot about plastic pollution in the oceans, especially about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This garbage patch is a huge area in the Pacific Ocean where plastic waste collects because of ocean currents. It shows how serious the problem of marine pollution has become. The United Nations Environment program (UNEP) has often warned that plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges today. In meetings of the United Nations General Assembly, countries have discussed how plastic waste harms marine animals, ecosystems, and even human health. Through the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 14 (“Life Below Water”), the UN set the target to reduce marine pollution significantly. In 2022, UN member states agreed to start working on a global treaty against plastic pollution. The idea is to create a legally binding agreement that deals with the whole life cycle of plastic, from production to disposal. This shows that the UN does not only want to clean up the oceans but also prevent the problem from getting worse. To prevent future garbage patches, the UN has suggested reducing single-use plastics, improving recycling systems, and investing in better waste management, especially in countries where waste often ends up in rivers and oceans. Education and international cooperation are also important, because ocean pollution affects all countries.

Countries