The National Ozone Officers in the South-Asia (SA), Southeast Asia (SEA) and Pacific Islands (PIC) Networks virtually gathered and agreed to have their first in-person Network meeting from 17-19 July 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, back-to-back with the forty-fourth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (OEWG-44) from 11-16 July 2022 and the Fifth Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (ExMOP5) on 16 July 2022.
The Joint Virtual Meeting of the SA/SEA and PIC Networks, held on 27 April 2022, was organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), Asia and the Pacific Office and was attended by 89 participants (male 40, female 49) consisting of Ozone Officers from the Asia-Pacific Networks, the Multilateral Fund Secretariat (MFS), the Ozone Secretariat, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Bank, and Australia and Japan as developed countries partners.
The MFS delivered presentations with highlights on the key decisions taken at the 88th Meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCom), updates on plans for the 89th, 90th and 91st meetings of the ExCom in 2022 with key recommendations to the policy outcomes, and unpacked the MLF’s plan for the evaluation of activities for 2022, especially the evaluation of the regional networks. It is worth noting that the network countries acknowledged and appreciated the participation of Ms. Tina Birmpili in her new capacity as Chief Officer of the MFS.
Mr. Shaofeng Hu, UNEP Senior Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator provided the Asia-Pacific Networks’ analyses of the countries’ compliance status, the Kigali Amendment ratification status in the region and an overview of CAP services delivered to countries. The Ozone Officers also reviewed the planned CAP services for 2022 and agreed to further explore south-south cooperation opportunities when they meet in July in Bangkok, at their first physical meeting since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNDP, UNIDO, and the World Bank as part of the Multilateral Fund‘s Implementing Agencies delivered updates, highlights and lessons learned from their work with countries regarding challenges to phase out HCFCs, how to sustain achievements made, and the development of the Kigali HFC Implementation plan at country level.
The Ozone Secretariat recapped issues discussed at the combined Twelfth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties - part II (COP12) and the Thirty-Third Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP33) and provided updates on current initiatives of the Ozone Secretariat from 2021-2022, and a brief overview of the organization for upcoming meetings of the 44th OEWG and 5th ExMOP that will also be convened in July, in Bangkok,
The joint virtual meeting was organized as part of UNEP CAP’s approved workplan for 2022.