By Vishal Gulati

Nairobi, Mar 2 (IANS): The gavel on Wednesday came down on a historic resolution at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) here to end plastic pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024.

Heads of states, environment ministers and other representatives from 175 nations endorsed this landmark agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic from source to sea.

Plastic production rose exponentially in the last decades and now amounts to some 400 million tonnes per year -- a figure set to double by 2040.

Amid cheers and loud applauds, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said the agreement is the most important international multilateral environmental deal since the Paris Climate Accord.

The resolution to end plastic pollution was gavelled during the closing plenary of the three-day Assembly that was attended by more than 3,400 in-person and 1,500 online participants from 175 UN Member States, including 79 ministers and 17 high-level officials.