Highlights and images for 7 November 2025

On this last day of the 37th Meeting of the Parties (MOP 37) to the Montreal Protocol, weary participants were observed making bets as to what time the meeting would be gaveled to a close. Contact groups and an informal group continued to meet throughout the day to reach agreement on remaining draft decisions. 

In the morning, the High-level Segment (HLS) concluded hearing statements from Parties and observers and the Preparatory Segment forwarded a number of draft decisions to the HLS for adoption. The Budget Committee presented on the financial report and budget for the Trust Fund for the Montreal Protocol, which was also forwarded to the HLS for adoption.

Also in the HLS, Kyrgyzstan stated that they, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were prevented from continued effective participation and representation in the Eastern European States UN regional group. MOP 37 President Paul Krajnik (Austria) urged the affected Parties to resolve this matter intersessionally.

The closing plenary started at 6:00 pm in parallel to the last two contact groups—on atmospheric monitoring and on the terms of reference for the study on the 2027–2029 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund (MLF)—to allow them to finish their work.

The Preparatory Segment forwarded the remaining draft decisions to the HLS. The decisions adopted by the HLS include:   

• Study on quantities of, and options for, used and unwanted controlled substances, including those at their end of life; 
• Halon 1301 and its continuing use in the aviation industry, and management of other controlled substances used for fire suppression; 
• National and regional initiatives to support the implementation of the Kigali Amendment; 
• Ensuring the viability of Montreal Protocol operations; 
• Emissions of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-23;   
• Terms of reference for the study on the 2027–2029 MLF replenishment;  
• Enhancing regional atmospheric monitoring of controlled substances; and 
• Financial reports and budgets for the Montreal Protocol, approving the budget of the Trust Fund for the Montreal Protocol in the amount of USD 5,912,612 for 2026. 

The HLS also adopted the nine decisions proposed by the Implementation Committee under the Non-Compliance Procedure for the Montreal Protocol. 

The contact group on feedstock uses of controlled substances could not reach agreement. Similarly, the informal group on further strengthening Montreal Protocol institutions did not conclude its work and Parties agreed to defer the item to the next meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG 48). 

The MOP also agreed that MOP 38 would be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 2‒6 November 2026, to mark the tenth anniversary of the Kigali Amendment. OEWG 48 will take place from 13‒17 July 2026 in a location yet to be confirmed.

Leila Akello Gonasa (Uganda) and Annie Gabriel (Australia) were elected as the Co-Chairs for OEWG 48. The members of the Executive Committee of the MLF were also elected. After a very long discussion, the election of the members of the Implementation Committee was deferred to an extraordinary MOP to be held at OEWG 48 since no agreement could be reached for the member from the Eastern European States UN regional group. 

OEWG Co-Chairs Annie Gabriel (Australia) and Shontelle Wellington (Barbados) thanked all participants and closed the Preparatory Segment at 12:03 am on Saturday, 8 November 2025. MOP 37 President Krajnik thanked the Co-Chairs for their outstanding work on a difficult night, called for a renewed spirit of compromise and consensus, and gaveled the HLS and MOP 37 to a close at 12:07 am.