Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

On March 22, 1985, stressful international negotiations led to adoption of the Vienna Convention. States that signed and ratified it became its parties which undertook to cooperate in studying and scientific assessment of the condition of the ozone layer, share information and take measures to prevent activities that may threaten the ozone layer.

The Vienna Convention is a master agreement which does not charge parties with reducing production and consumption of ODS. When negotiating its execution, parties discussed future adoption of a protocol which would stipulate for specific targets on ODS use but they only agreed on September 16, 1987, when the Montreal Protocol was signed.

The Soviet Union signed the Vienna Convention on March 22, 1985, and adopted on June 18, 1986 (Regulation of the Council of Ministers of USSR dated 07.05.1986 No. 525 “On adoption by USSR of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and on measures on enforcement of obligations of USSR”).

On December 31, 1991, Russian Ambassador to the UN delivered UNEP a memorandum that RF continues be a party to conventions, agreements and other international legal instruments signed as part of UNEP or under its auspices to which the former USSR had been a party. The similar memorandum was delivered on the Vienna Convention.

Parties to the Convention are 197 states (all the UN members, Holy See, Niue and Cook Islands) and the European Union.