Giant Eye Flag Installed in Busan as UN’s Plastic Pollution Negotiations Begin

NOVEMBER 25, 2024 — A massive flag featuring a collage of over 6,000 portraits has been installed in Busan, South Korea, as part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on plastic pollution, Down To Earth reports.

The 30×24-meter flag, held aloft by a 10-story crane, serves as a reminder to attending world leaders that millions of people are closely observing their decisions on plastics.

Swiss artist Dan Acher, in collaboration with Greenpeace, created the installation titled We Are Watching.

The portraits, submitted from 190 countries, include public figures such as William Shatner, James Cromwell, and Joao Pacífico, alongside everyday citizens advocating for an end to plastic use and manufacturing.

“Global citizens are asking you to do the right thing. Be on the right side of history — for your children, for our children, for the future of our planet. The world is watching,” said Acher.

This is not the first time The We Are Watching flag has been displayed. It debuted at the COP25 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, where it was carried by 500,000 participants in the March for Climate, according to the flag’s official website.

It has also flown above the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and appeared in various cities leading up to COP26 in Glasgow.

The INC-5 session, taking place from November 25 to December 1, 2024, at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, aims to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including marine environments.

Image: Down To Earth

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