About
As the meeting closed, delegates agreed that the meeting sent an important signal that despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the goals of the Montreal Protocol are well on track and, while virtual meetings are difficult, they showed that if something should be done, it can be done.
See more coverage of this event on our archived site
We updated our site in 2021 to better share our reports from events covered since 1992.
While we manually migrate some elements (photography, highlights of proceedings) they can still be found on our archived site by clicking here.
Final report
Summary report 23–27 November 2020
All coverage
Mario Molina, who passed away in October 2020, laid the path for continued efforts to preserve and restore the ozone layer through his ground-breaking discovery that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a threat to the Earth’s ozone layer. This work continued with the combined twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Part I) and Thirty-Second Meeting of the Parties (COP 12(I)/MOP 32) as they met online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first part of COP 12, which met to commemorate the Convention’s 35th anniversary, addressed the budget of the Vienna Convention Trust Fund for 2020 (revised) and 2021 only. The second part of COP 12, which will be held in 2021, will address all other agenda items relating to the Convention.
MOP 32 also considered a reduced agenda, including:
- Financial reports and budgets of the trust funds for the Montreal Protocol;
- Replenishment of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MLF);
- Nominations for methyl bromide critical-use exemptions (CUEs) for 2021 and 2022;
- Membership of the Implementation Committee, Membership of the MLF Executive Committee, and Co-Chairs of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG);
- Consideration of the membership of the assessment panels; and
- Compliance and reporting issues considered by the Implementation Committee.
COP 12(I)/MOP 32 took place from 23-27 November. The preparatory segment was held from 23-26 November 2020, and the high-level segment took place 27 November 2020. All sessions were held from 12:00 – 2:00 pm Central European Time (CET). There was the possibility of an extra hour for each session if parties need additional time.
The 1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer is a framework convention that aims to promote cooperation by exchanging information on the effects of human activities on the ozone layer Adopted in 1987, the Montreal Protocol is the sole protocol to the Vienna Convention. The Protocol seeks to control and phase out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) such as CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride (CTC), methyl chloroform, methyl bromide, hydrobromofluorocarbons, and HCFCs. Under the 2015 Kigali Amendment, the Protocol is phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), substitutes for many ODS that have been found to have a high global warming potential.
The MOP serves as the decision-making body of the Protocol and meets annually to consider and decide on issues put forward by the OEWG. The COP is the decision-making body for the Vienna Convention and meets every three years. These deliberations are informed and supported by scientific assessments. For more information, see the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis from OEWG 42 in July 2020.
View past and future events
Past event
Vienna Convention COP 5 and Montreal Protocol MOP 11
Past event
20th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 12
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 13
Past event
22nd Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Vienna Convention COP 6 and Montreal Protocol MOP 14
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 15
Past event
1st Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (ExMOP-1)
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 16
Past event
25th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties and 2nd Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (ExMOP-2)
Past event
Vienna Convention COP 7 and Montreal Protocol MOP 17
Past event
26th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 18
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 19
Past event
Viena Convention COP 8 and Montreal Protocol MOP 20
Past event
29th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 21
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 22
Past event
31st Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Vienna Convention COP 9 and Montreal Protocol MOP 23
Past event
32nd Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 24
Past event
33rd Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 25
Past event
34th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Vienna Convention COP 10 and Montreal Protocol MOP 26
Past event
Workshop on Hydrofluorocarbon Management and 35th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
36th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Resumed 36th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 27
Past event
37th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (ExMOP 3) and Associated Meetings
Past event
Montreal Protocol MOP 28
Past event
39th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
Vienna Convention COP 11 and Montreal Protocol MOP 29
Past event
Workshop on Energy Efficiency Opportunities While Phasing-Down Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and 40th Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
Past event
30th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
Past event
41st Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (OEWG 41)
Past event
31st Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP 31)
Past event
42nd Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (OEWG 42)
Past event
12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention (Part I) and 32nd Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
4th Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (ExMOP-4) and 1st Part of the 43rd Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG43)
Past event
2nd Part of the 43rd Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (OEWG 43)
Past event
Combined 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention (Part II) and 33rd Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
44th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (OEWG-44) and 5th Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (ExMOP-5)
Past event
34th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP34)
Past event
45th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event
35th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP35)
Past event
46th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Past event