By Philip Buda Ladu
The Council of Ministers passed the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The protocol now awaits parliamentary approval for South Sudan to adopt this crucial UN treaty on environmental protection.
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
When released into the atmosphere, those chemicals damage the stratospheric ozone layer, Earth’s protective shield that protects humans and the environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun according to the UN environment programme.
Adopted on 16 September 1987, the Protocol is to date one of the rare treaties to achieve universal ratification. And South Sudan is among the nations that are yet to adopt this important treaty.
Justice Ruben Madol Arol, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, tabled the UN treaty to the cabinet during the regular Council of Ministers meeting No.17/2024 held on Friday, 8 November 2024 chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Information Minister and Government’s Spokesperson, Michael Makuei Lueth emphasized that this protocol passed by the UN on the 16th of September 1987 is supposed to be adopted by every country.
He added that this protocol was tabled before the Council of Ministers for consideration.
“It was passed through the governance cluster and then today it is presented to the Council of Ministers and the Council of Ministers passed it with the directives to the Minister to table it before the National Legislative Assembly for deliberation and adoption,” Makuei said.
Treaty targets.
The Montreal Protocol phases down the consumption and production of the different ODS in a step-wise manner, with different timetables for developed and developing countries (referred to as “Article 5 countries”).
Under this treaty, all parties have specific responsibilities related to the phase-out of the different groups of ODS, control of ODS trade, annual reporting of data, national licensing systems to control ODS imports and exports, and other matters.
Developing and developed countries have equal but differentiated responsibilities, but most importantly, both groups of countries have binding, time-targeted, and measurable commitments.
The Protocol includes provisions related to Control Measures (Article 2), Calculation of control levels (Article 3), Control of trade with non-parties (Article 4), Special situation of developing countries (Article 5), Reporting of data (Article 7), Non-compliance (Article 8), Technical assistance (Article 10), as well as other topics. The substances controlled by the treaty are listed in Annexes A (CFCs, halons), B (other fully halogenated CFCs, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform), C (HCFCs), E (methyl bromide), and F (HFCs).
The treaty evolves over time in light of new scientific, technical, and economic developments, and it continues to be amended and adjusted.