The final day of the 47th meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG 47) of the Montreal Protocol featured a light agenda due to the diligent work of the parties during the week. Most of the contact groups had already made progress in their work on draft decisions to be adopted by the next Meeting of the Parties (MOP 37) in November 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.
In an early morning contact group, delegates met to resume discussions on a proposal by Rwanda and the United Kingdom on national and regional initiatives to support the implementation of the Kigali Amendment. Some delegates called for further clarification on funding the proposed regional and/or national centers of excellence proposed in the draft. Others noted the role of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) in this regard. In plenary, delegates agreed to continue discussions on this issue at MOP 37.
In the morning plenary, the State of Palestine updated delegates on a constructive informal discussion with the US, Norway, and Senegal on its proposed classification as an Article 5 (developing country) party under the Montreal Protocol. He expressed conviction that everything can be resolved by dialogue and he committed to submit any missing documentation as suggested by parties. The Working Group agreed to bracket the proposal and forward it to MOP 37 for further consideration.
The plenary also heard reports from contact group discussions on: terms of reference for the study on the MLF replenishment for 2027-2029; atmospheric monitoring; feedstocks; and halons and fire suppressants. The plenary agreed to forward the relevant draft decisions to the MOP for further consideration and adoption.
The contact group on Life-cycle Refrigerant Management (LRM) met after plenary and discussed a revised draft decision requesting the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) to prepare a report for consideration at MOP 39. They agreed that the report could identify existing destruction and reclamation facilities that can accept used refrigerants from other countries. However, disagreement remained around estimating inventories of refrigerants containing banned substances, and avoiding emissions associated with the reclamation and destruction of used refrigerants.
An informal group met to further discuss the proposed reorganization of the TEAP and its Technical Options Committees (TOCs), which will be further addressed at MOP 37.
The closing plenary convened at 2:30 pm. After reviewing and adopting the report of the meeting, Co-Chairs Annie Gabriel (Australia) and Shontelle Wellington (Barbados) gavelled OEWG 47 to a close at 3:12 pm.
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All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For the 47th meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (OEWG 47), please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Plenary Session
Shontelle Wellington, Barbados, and Annie Gabriel, Australia, OEWG 47 Co-Chairs, and Megumi Seki, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat
Sophia Anselm-Larocque, Dominica
Tatiana Lopes de Oliveira Pereira, Brazil
Paul Taylor, Australia
Philippe Chemouny, Canada
Camilla Noel, Vanuatu
Claudia Roelfsema, the Netherlands
Megumi Seki, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat
Ibrahima Amel Kane, Senegal
Yaqoub Almatouq, Kuwait
Cindy Newberg, US
Delegates listen to the discussions.
Tom Van Ierland, EU
Ri Nam Song, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Delegates from China
Delegates from the Maldives
Delegates from Ecuador and Dominican Republic
Delegates from Saudi Arabia
Delegates from Benin and Belize
Delegates from the EU
Delegates from New Zealand and the Netherlands
Delegates from Kenya
A view of the dais during the closure of the meeting
Contact/Informal Groups
Sergio Merino, Mexico, and Morane Godfrin, France, Co-Chairs of the contact group on LRM studies
Leslie Smith, Grenada, and Alessandro Giuliano Peru, Italy, Co-Convenors of the informal group on the organization of the TEAP and its TOCs
Delegates from Latin America and the Caribbean
Between Sessions
Around the Venue
L-R: Bonfils Safari, Kenneth Jucks, Lucy Carpenter, Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) Co-Chairs, Megumi Seki, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat, Shontelle Wellington, Barbados, OEWG 47 Co-Chair, Stephen Montzka, SAP, and David Fahey, SAP Co-Chair
Delegates from Eastern Europe and Central Asia
OEWG 47 volunteers with members of the Ozone Secetariat and Shontelle Wellington, Barbados, OEWG 47 Co-Chair
OEWG 47 observers
Earth Negotiations Bulletin team (L-R): Kaspar Sollberger, Australia/Switzerland, Pam Chasek, US, Tallash Kantai, Kenya, and Anastasia Rodopoulou, Greece
