SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES HISTORIC AGREEMENT TO PHASE OUT HYDROchlorofluorocarbons,

CHEMICAL COMPOUND DAMAGING TO OZONE LAYER, CONTRIBUTOR TO CLIMATE CHANGE

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the agreement reached over the weekend by the signatories of the Montreal Protocol to sign up to an accelerated freeze and phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), the chemical compound which damages the ozone layer and also contributes to climate change.

The Secretary-General is especially pleased that this historic agreement was reached on the eve of the high-level event on climate change convened by him on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.  He notes that international efforts to protect the ozone layer and to combat climate change are mutually supportive.  He also notes that the agreement reached in Montreal includes a commitment to make sufficient funding available to implement the strategy of phasing out HCFCs.  The Secretary-General hopes Member States will demonstrate the same urgency and boldness as they turn to the sources of greenhouse gases.

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For information media • not an official record