The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it. This phase-out plan includes both the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The landmark agreement was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989.

The parties to the Protocol meet once a year to make decisions aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of the agreement. These include adjusting or amending the Protocol, which has been done six times since its creation. The most recent amendment, the Kigali Amendment, called for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in 2016. These HFCs were used as replacements for a batch of ozone-depleting substances eliminated by the original Montreal Protocol. Although they do not deplete the ozone layer, they are known to be powerful greenhouse gases and, thus, contributors to climate change.

The Montreal Protocol provided a set of practical, actionable tasks that were universally agreed on. The Protocol has successfully met its objectives thus far and continues to safeguard the ozone layer today. Thanks to the collaborative effort of nations around the world, the ozone layer is well on its way to recovery.

Decision XVIII/18: Preventing illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances through systems for monitoring their transboundary movement between Parties

Acknowledging the urgent need for action to prevent and minimize illegal trade in controlled ozone-depleting substances so as not to undermine efforts to phase out ozone depleting substances, in particular those of the Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol,

Mindful of decision XVII/16, in which the Parties requested the Ozone Secretariat to undertake a feasibility study on developing a system for monitoring the transboundary movement of controlled ozone-depleting substances between the Parties and to present the results of that study to the Eighteenth Meeting of the Parties in 2006,

Noting with appreciation the work of the Ozone Secretariat and all organizations and individuals that assisted in the preparation of the study,

Noting that the study contains recommendations on better implementation and enforcement of existing mechanisms, notably licensing systems for the control of imports, exports and re-exports as called for in Article 4B of the Protocol, which have a key role to play in monitoring transboundary movements in controlled ozone‑depleting substances,

Acknowledging also the need for Parties to make a detailed assessment of all the options put forward in the study and, in particular, the medium-term and longer-term options,

  1. To urge all Parties to implement fully Article 4B of the Protocol as well as to take into account recommendations contained in existing decisions of the Parties, notably decisions IX/8, XIV/7, XVII/12 and XVII/16;
  2. To encourage all Parties to consider taking effective action to improve monitoring of transboundary movement of controlled ozone-depleting substances including, as appropriate, a better utilization of existing systems under other multilateral agreements for tracking trade in chemicals and to exchange relevant information specifically in the context of trade in ozone-depleting substances between Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Protocol and Parties not so operating;
  3. To encourage all Parties which have experience in using the United Nations commodity trade statistics database, commonly known as “UNComtrade”, and the publicly available software Global Risk Identification and Detection, commonly known as “eGRID”, which are used to monitor trade in ozone-depleting substances, to provide information on the suitability and costs of those tools to the Ozone Secretariat, which will report such information at the twenty-seventh meeting of the Open‑ended Working Group and subsequently at the Nineteenth Meeting of the Parties in 2007;
  4. To encourage the United Nations Environment Programme’s Compliance Assistance Programme to continue its efforts to train ozone officers and customs officers on best practices and to raise awareness and to disseminate examples of best practices for national licensing systems and regional cooperation to combat illegal trade;
  5. To invite all Parties to submit written comments by 31 March 2007 to the Ozone Secretariat on the report, focusing in particular on their priorities with respect to the medium- and longer‑term options listed in the study and/or all other possible options with a view to identifying those cost-effective actions which could be given priority by the Parties both collectively through further action to be considered under the Protocol and at the regional and national levels;
  6. To request the Ozone Secretariat to provide a compilation of those comments for consideration at the twenty-seventh meeting of the Open-ended Working Group and subsequently at the Nineteenth Meeting of the Parties in 2007.