United Nations Environment Programme

• Information Clearinghouse that promotes the overall visibility of the Montreal Protocol and the Multilateral Fund achievements and supports the development and implementation of regional and national information, education and communication strategies.
• Regional Networks of Ozone Officers that promote the exchange of information, experience and know-how required to meet the Montreal Protocol commitments, report data, set and enforce policies, adopt technologies and effectively manage the NOU.
• Capacity building activities that help developing countries and CEITs build national capacity and create enabling environment for the implementation of national ODS phase-out programmes
• Sector-specific direct assistance related to policy, enforcement and customs, and management of refrigerants, halon and methyl bromide.

To design and deliver its services to developing countries, UNEP collaborates with a number of developed countries. These partners include Austria, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, the European Commission, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain,
Sweden and Switzerland. New partnerships are being developed with the Secretariats of chemical, waste and climate change related treaties to integrate the objectives of the Montreal Protocol with other global environmental issues. UNEP additionally partners with international, regional and national industry and farmer organisations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and training institutes in order to achieve its goals.

The OzonAction Programme has won several awards for its services to developing countries.

About the Multilateral Fund

The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol began its operation in 1991. The Fund's main objective is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone-depleting substances is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. These countries are referred to as Article 5 countries.

Activities are implemented by four international agencies - UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, World Bank - and a number of bilateral implementing agencies of donor countries.

Responsibility for overseeing the operation of the Fund rests with the Executive Committee comprising seven members each from Article 5 countries and non-Article 5 countries. The Committee is assisted by the Fund Secretariat which is based in Montreal.

Since 1991, the Multilateral Fund has approved activities including industrial conversion, technical assistance, training and capacity building worth over US $2 billion.