The Montreal Protocol Ozone Secretariat, in conjunction with the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS), the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) convened a side event during UNEA-7 to highlight the importance of atmospheric monitoring and to explore possible synergistic action and opportunities for collaboration among Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and other organisations.
Systematic observations and measurements of the Earth’s atmosphere are fundamental to understanding its composition and dynamics and detecting any changes and their potential impacts. In particular, the continuous monitoring of substances regulated under MEAs and/or of measures taken under those is indispensable for safeguarding human health and ecosystems, ensuring compliance with international obligations, evaluating the effectiveness of treaties, and deterring illegal production and trade that could lead to unexpected emissions.
The side event underscored the critical role of atmospheric monitoring in relation to substances regulated under the Montreal Protocol, the Stockholm and Minamata Conventions. It examined the contributions of existing monitoring networks and review actions taken to address persistent gaps in coverage under these agreements.
The intention of the event was to highlight the urgent need to strengthen global and regional monitoring of ongoing emissions, especially in under-sampled regions, inform on recent undertakings to close gaps in global atmospheric observations, and explore practical options for enhancing monitoring capacity. It also considered possibilities for cooperation among the existing monitoring programmes and networks of the above-mentioned treaties and the WMO with the objective of identifying opportunities to build synergies across conventions, optimize the use of the existing monitoring capacity such as the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), and improve access to global resources and expertise. By fostering integration and collaboration, the event aims to advance a more comprehensive and efficient global monitoring framework for treaty-related substances.
For the individual presentations click on the below links:
Montreal Protocol Ozone Secretariat
Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
Minamata Convention on Mercury
World Meteorological Organization
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For more information, please contact:
Stephanie HaySmith, Communications & Public Information Officer, Montreal Protocol Ozone Secretariat
