The institutions map describes the institutions that facilitate the implementation of the Ozone Treaties by the parties at the national level. The governance structure, which has remained largely unchanged over time, is one of the key drivers of the treaties’ success. It includes the comprehensive advisory functions provided by the assessment panels and ozone research managers, a financial mechanism and a compliance mechanism.
The Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol — the two global agreements on ozone protection — are implemented by the parties, with guidance and support from key institutions that bring together science, policy and diplomacy for the protection of all life on Earth.
Each treaty has a governing body — the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, which take decisions on all matters related to the treaties. The Ozone Secretariat provides administrative support to both.
The three Assessment Panels (TEAP, SAP and EEAP) provide guidance to the parties on issues related to the science of the ozone layer protection, the technical and financial implications of the transition to new refrigerants and the implications to human health and the ecosystems from ozone layer depletion.
Every year, parties to the Montreal Protocol convene a Meeting of the Parties. A Bureau and an Open-ended Working Group meet separately in between these meetings to review the implementation of the decisions of previous meetings and prepare for the next one. The Working Group also adopts recommendations and forwards them to the Meeting of the Parties for consideration and final decision.
The financial mechanism of the Montreal Protocol is the Multilateral Fund, which assists Article 5 parties in implementing the decisions taken by the Meeting of the Parties and to comply with the phase-out targets. Financial and technical assistance as well as transfer of technology are provided to Article 5 parties through four Implementing Agencies (UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO and World Bank). The Fund is managed by an Executive Committee, with support provided by the Multilateral Fund Secretariat.
The Vienna Convention is governed by a different structure, which comprises a Bureau and a group of Ozone Research Managers who look mostly at the science of monitoring and research. The Conference of the Parties meets every three years jointly with the Meeting of the Parties.
Cooperation between all these institutions ensures that progress is monitored, and that the two treaties are implemented effectively, and continuously.