THE ROLE OF UNITED NATIONS IN MANAGING PLASTIC POLLUTION THROUGH INSTAGRAM IN SUPPORT OF SDG 14 FIRST TARGET (2015 – 2019)

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a global problem that has already impacted the environment in the life below water. Eight million tons of plastic products annually end up in the ocean, according to United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity these plastic wastes have killed 100,000 sea mammals, sea turtles and large numbers of fish each year and 2050 for the ocean is set to have more plastic than fish according to its weight and it leads to extinction. The United Nations SDG 14 first target aims to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution by 2025. No single actor can end this problem alone, globalism theory believes that social media is the tool in globalization to sharpen the interconnections to all actors in the international system to face the global problem. Supported by international communications theory which believes that through international communication, in this case social media, it can shape people's knowledge and awareness toward the issue. Green politics theory will explain the phenomenon of plastic global pollution through its two concepts, ecocentrism and limits to growth. This research uses a content analysis research method to analyze UN Instagram accounts. In result, Instagram is a plastic global action network for the UN to raise people's awareness. However, the cumulative Instagram posts of the UN were relatively low, therefore social media Instagram has not maximally utilized by the UN as a tool in globalization for the effort to manage the plastic pollution to support the SDG 14 first target.