International negotiations to draft the first-ever United Nations treaty on reducing plastic pollution will begin in the South Korean city of Busan on Monday.

The final round of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution will run through December 1.

Two years ago, the committee endorsed a resolution at the UN Environment Assembly to lay the groundwork of a legally binding plastic regulation agreement by the end of 2024.

One of the focal points is the scope of regulations on the production of plastic, which has been increasing.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says global plastic waste generation more than doubled from 2000 to 2019 to 353 million tons.

European Union and African countries are among those calling for introducing uniform regulations on plastic production.

China, India, and countries that produce petroleum are against the measures. Petroleum is a raw material that is used to manufacture plastic.

Japan has said each country needs to set goals and regulations depending on circumstances, and promote recycling and other efforts.

Discussions are also expected on whether to require countries to implement measures to prevent plastic from entering the environment.