International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

September 16, 2013 - Encouraged by the success achieved since the 1987 Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, the United Nations chief is urging governments, industry, civil society and all other partners to commit themselves to finding solutions to the world’s great environment and development challenges. “As we implement the outcomes of the 2012 Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, the remarkable success story of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer provides a beacon of hope,” wrote UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon in a message for the Sept. 16 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, observed Monday. He wished that this “success will inform and inspire the international community in charting a new vision and responsive framework for the period beyond 2015, the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.” “Sustainable development — enabled by the integration of economic growth, social justice and environmental stewardship — must become our global guiding principle and operational standard,” he stressed. Commending all who have made the Montreal Protocol such an outstanding example of international cooperation, Ban urged governments, industry, civil society and all other partners to apply the same spirit to the other great environment and development challenges of our times. (Source: UN)