The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

When did we realize ozone depletion was an issue, and how did we fix it? By 1985, the globe had already seen advancements in the scientific understanding of ozone depletion and its impacts on human health and the environment. It was then that the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was created in response. This agreement is a framework convention that lays out principles agreed upon by many parties. It does not, however, require countries to take control actions to protect the ozone layer. This would come later in the form of the Montreal Protocol.

The Vienna Convention was the first convention of any kind to be signed by every country involved, taking effect in 1988 and reaching universal ratification in 2009. This speaks to the enormity of ozone depletion at the time and the willingness of countries around the world to work together to solve it. The Convention aimed to promote cooperation among nations by exchanging information on the effects of human activities on the ozone layer. In doing so, the creators of the Convention hoped policymakers would adopt measures to combat those activities responsible for ozone depletion.

Today, the Vienna Convention is still making progress.The countries involved meet once every three years to make decisions on important issues including on Research and Systematic observations as well as financial and administrative matters.

Declarations made at the time of adoption of the Final Act of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Protection of the Ozone Layer

[The Conference agreed that the declarations contained in paragraphs 1 to 3, as submitted on 21 March 1985, and the declarations contained in paragraphs 4 and 5, as submitted on 22 March 1985, should be appended to the Final Act.]

  1. The delegations of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany (Federal Republic of), Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland express their regret at the absence from the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer of any provision for the compulsory settlement of disputes by third parties, at the request of one party. Consistently with their traditional support for such a procedure, these delegations appeal to all Parties to the Convention to make use of the possibility of a declaration under article 11, paragraph 3 of the Convention.
  2. The delegation of Egypt reiterates the importance attached by its Government to the international and national efforts to protect the environment, including the protection of the ozone layer. For that reason, it has participated from the outset in the preparatory work for the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, and in the adoption of the Convention and resolutions. While concurring with the consensus on article 1 of the Convention, the delegation of Egypt understands paragraph 6 of that article as being applicable to all regional organizations, including the Organization of African Unity and the League of Arab States, provided they fulfil the conditions laid down in that article, namely, that they have competence in respect of matters governed by the Convention and have been duly authorized by their member States in accordance with their internal rules of procedure. While concurring with the consensus on article 2 of the Convention, the delegation of Egypt states that the first sentence of paragraph 2 of that article should be read in the light of the third preambular paragraph. While concurring with the consensus on Resolution No. 1 on Institutional and Financial Arrangements, the delegation of Egypt states that its approval of the third preambular paragraph of that resolution is without prejudice to its position on the method of apportioning contributions among the member States, with particular reference to option 2, which it had supported during the discussions on preparatory document UNEP/WG.94/13, whereby 80 per cent of the costs would be covered by the industrialized countries and the remaining 20 per cent apportioned among the member States on the basis of the United Nations scale of assessment.
  3. With regard to Resolution No. 2 on the Protocol Concerning Chlorofluorocarbons, the delegation of Japan is of the opinion that a decision whether or not to continue work on a protocol should await the results of the work of the Co-ordinating Committee on the Ozone Layer. Secondly, with regard to paragraph 6 of the above-mentioned resolution, the delegation of Japan is of the opinion that each country should itself decide how to control emissions of chlorofluorocarbons.
  4. The delegation of Spain declares that, in accordance with the interpretation by the President of the Conference in his statement of 21 March 1985, its Government understands paragraph 6 of the Resolution on a Protocol Concerning Chlorofluorocarbons as being addressed exclusively to the individual countries themselves, which are urged to control their limits of production or use, and not to third countries or to regional organizations with respect to such countries.
  5. The delegation of the United States of America declares that it understands article 15 of the Convention to mean that regional economic integration organizations, none of whose member States are Parties to the Convention or relevant Protocol, shall have one vote each. It further understands that article 15 does not allow any double voting by regional economic integration organizations and their member States, that is, regional economic integration organizations may never vote in addition to their member States which are party to the Convention or relevant protocol, and vice versa.