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Montreal Protocol

Official Name

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Signatories

These are the members of the Montreal Protocol:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Antigua, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italia, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arabic Republic, Tajikistan Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Dates

The Montreal Protocol was first signed on 16 September 1987. The latest country to recognise the Protocol is Holy See on 5 May 2008. The Protocol came into effect on 1 January 1989.

Languages

The Protocol was written in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.

The Montreal Protocol was formulated after scientific research began to show the harmful effects of CFCs and other chemicals on the atmosphere. The artificial substances were causing a hole in the Ozone layer, letting deadly UV radiation into the Earth's atmosphere, damaging agriculture and ecosystems throughout the world, ultimately contributing to global warming.

Key Points of the Treaty

The production of various types of chlorofluorocarbons, haloalkane, halides, hydrocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons shall be phased out of use by gradually decreasing production until reaching zero amounts in either the 1990's or the early 21st century. Importing and exporting of these chemicals and products containing these chemicals by a member state of the Protocol is prohibited. Member states shall also take measures to discourage technology producing these chemicals throughout the world.

Whilst these chemicals are still being produced, albeit in reduced amounts, after 1 January 2000 a licensing system must be established to monitor the import and export of the chemicals outlined in the Protocol.

Every three months all member states need to file a report providing details into imports, exports and production of the chemicals to the Secretariat, the governing body of the Protocol. Each of the members shall also promote environmental awareness in relation to the Ozone layer.

Resources Used:

"Section 1.1 - The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer." The Ozone Secretariat - Home. 07 Feb. 2009 <http://ozone.unep.org/Publications/MP_Handbook/Section_1.1_The_Montreal_Protocol/>.

"Montreal Protocol." Environnement Canada - Environment Canada. 22 Jan. 2009 <http://www.ec.gc.ca/international/multilat/ozone1_e.htm>.

"2 .a Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer." UNTC. 23 Dec. 2008 <http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&id=504&chapter=27&lang=en>.