Article Index
Vienna Convention
When did we realize ozone depletion was an issue, and how did we fix it? By 1985, the globe had already seen advancements in the scientific understanding of ozone depletion and its impacts on human health and the environment. It was then that the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was created in response. This agreement is a framework convention that lays out principles agreed upon by many parties. It does not, however, require countries to take control actions to protect the ozone layer. This would come later in the form of the Montreal Protocol.
The Vienna Convention was the first convention of any kind to be signed by every country involved, taking effect in 1988 and reaching universal ratification in 2009. This speaks to the enormity of ozone depletion at the time and the willingness of countries around the world to work together to solve it. The Convention aimed to promote cooperation among nations by exchanging information on the effects of human activities on the ozone layer. In doing so, the creators of the Convention hoped policymakers would adopt measures to combat those activities responsible for ozone depletion.
Today, the Vienna Convention is still making progress.The countries involved meet once every three years to make decisions on important issues including on Research and Systematic observations as well as financial and administrative matters.
Introduction
on 16 September 2009, the Convention, along with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, achieved universal participation by 196 parties, it became the first set of treaties of any kind in the history of the United Nations system to achieve that aspiration. The ozone treaties maintained universal participation when, three years later, South Sudan – the newest member of the United Nations – acceded to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol.
The universal ratification of the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol marked the culmination of many years of efforts by the international community to ensure that the ozone protection treaties achieved global support and implementation. The Ozone Secretariat would like to extend its warmest congratulations to all the countries in the world for this remarkable achievement.
- Section 1 contains the full text of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985).
- Section 2 contains the decisions of the Conference of the Parties and will be updated regularly to incorporate the decisions adopted by the Conference in future. The decisions are presented in subsections relating to each article of the Convention.
- Section 3 contains the rules of procedure for the meetings of the Conference of the Parties and the Meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
Download Resources
Download Vienna Convention Handbook