UNEP OzonAction organized a Montreal Protocol Dialogue on Action against Illegal Trade on 15 April 2026 in Vienna, Austria, in cooperation with the UNEP Green Customs Initiative Secretariat. The meeting was hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The dialogue brought together global and regional enforcement entities working on Montreal Protocol implementation and enforcement. Participants included UNODC, the World Customs Organization, INTERPOL, UNEP Law Division, EUROPOL, OLAF, IMPEL, Administrative Cooperation Groups, the Environmental Investigation Agency, Ambiendura, the Ozone Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
Convened back-to-back with the Green Customs Initiative partners’ meeting, the dialogue focused on practical cooperation. It aimed to exchange information on current enforcement activities, improve understanding of the scale and nature of illegal trade, and identify opportunities for future cooperation.
OzonAction delivered an overview presentation on illegal trade in the context of the Montreal Protocol. Participants then provided updates on their activities related to enforcement and illegal trade.
Participants emphasized improved data collection, mandatory or enhanced reporting, stronger penalties where appropriate, digital traceability tools, risk profiling, targeted capacity-building, and deeper cooperation among international, regional, and national partners. They also underscored the value of joint enforcement operations, intelligence-sharing platforms, and collaboration across Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
