Protection of the Ozone Layer
The Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol are recognized as the most successful examples of multilateral environmental agreements: the number of ratifications — 197 — represent a record in the history of the United Nations and also it has contributed to a reduction of 97% in the global use of ozone depleting substances. In joining the congratulations for this unique achievement, I would like to underline the contribution of observation and research to this success and the effectiveness of the collaboration between WMO and UNEP. Isolated ozone observations date back to the early 20th century but it was only in 1957 that, in preparation of the International Geophysical Year, the WMO Global Ozone Observing Network (GO3OS) was established. The data collected through the network became essential for understanding the state and changes of the ozone layer. This was instrumental in providing the evidence that CFCs and other gases were causing the destruction of the ozone layer, with serious implications on human health and the environment. In 1977 WMO published a seminal scientific report, "Modification of the Ozone Layer Due to Human Activities and Some Possible Geophysical Consequences”. Two years later, WMO and UNEP organized together the intergovernmental meeting in Washington that prepared the first International Plan of Action for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.
The Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol are recognized as the most successful examples of multilateral environmental agreements: the number of ratifications — 197 — represent a record in the history of the United Nations and also it has contributed to a reduction of 97% in the global use of ozone depleting substances. In joining the congratulations for this unique achievement, I would like to underline the contribution of observation and research to this success and the effectiveness of the collaboration between WMO and UNEP. Isolated ozone observations date back to the early 20th century but it was only in 1957 that, in preparation of the International Geophysical Year, the WMO Global Ozone Observing Network (GO3OS) was established. The data collected through the network became essential for understanding the state and changes of the ozone layer. This was instrumental in providing the evidence that CFCs and other gases were causing the destruction of the ozone layer, with serious implications on human health and the environment. In 1977 WMO published a seminal scientific report, "Modification of the Ozone Layer Due to Human Activities and Some Possible Geophysical Consequences”. Two years later, WMO and UNEP organized together the intergovernmental meeting in Washington that prepared the first International Plan of Action for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.