Sunday, 16 September 2007 Earth Negotiations Bulletin-The twentieth anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was commemorated on Sunday, 16 September 2007, with a seminar entitled “Celebrating 20 Years of Progress.’ The event was hosted by Environment Canada and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and took place at the Palais de Congrès in Montreal, Canada, in the lead-up to the nineteenth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP-19). Participants from governments, international organizations, business and civil society took part in the day’s celebrations, which included keynote presentations, an awards ceremony, and a range of panel discussions. The panel discussions focused on the history, development and implementation of the Montreal Protocol, ozone science, links with other environmental issues, and future challenges.
Marco Gonzalez, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat, opened the seminar
Executive Secretary Marco Gonzalez, Stephen Anderson, US EPA, K. Madhava Sarma, former Ozone Executive Secretary, and Kristin Taddonio, US EPA, during the book launch for “Techonology Transfer for the Ozone Layer: Lessons for Climate Change.” Credit: Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Evolution of the Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was agreed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989.
The Second, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth and Eleventh Meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted, in accordance with the procedure laid down in paragraph 9 of Article 2 of the Montreal Protocol, certain adjustments and reductions of production and consumption of the controlled substances listed in the Annexes of the Protocol. These adjustments entered into force, for all the Parties, on 7 March 1991, 23 September 1993, 5 August 1996, 4 June 1998 and 28 July 2000, respectively.
The Second, Fourth, Ninth and Eleventh Meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted, in accordance with the procedure laid down in paragraph 4 of Article 9 of the Vienna Convention, four Amendments to the Protocol – the London Amendment (1990), the Copenhagen Amendment (1992), the Montreal Amendment (1997) and the Beijing Amendment (1999).
The London, Copenhagen and Montreal Amendments entered into force, only for those Parties which ratified the particular amendments, on 10 August 1992, 14 June 1994 and 10 November 1999, respectively.
The Beijing Amendment will enter into force, only for those Parties which ratify it, on 1 January 2001, provided that at least twenty instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval of the Amendment have been deposited by States or regional economic integration organizations that are Parties to the Montreal Protocol. (No State or regional economic integration organization may deposit such an instrument unless it has previously, or simultaneously, deposited such an instrument to the Montreal Amendment.)
