US$1 million approved for Caribbean countries under the Montreal Protocol in 2012

The week of December 3-7 was a very significant one for several Caribbean countries that are Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

At the recently concluded 68th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multi-lateral Fund (MLF) for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol (December 7th) in Montreal, Canada, seven  Caribbean countries that submitted projects for approval were successful in doing so. The Executive Committee in its review of the projects approved over US$720,000 for these countries.

Institutional Strengthening Projects (ISP) for Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and St. Kitt’s and Nevis were approved amounting to approximately US$417,000. Additionally, the Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) for Haiti and the second tranche of Stage 1 of the HPMP for St. Lucia was also approved, totalling approximately US$306,000.

Other Caribbean countries have also benefited from the assistance of the Multi-lateral Fund in 2012.  At the 67th Executive Committee Meeting in July, extension of Institutional Strength-ening Projects was also approved for Grenada and Suriname totalling approximately US$133,000.

Earlier in the year at the 65th Meeting of the Committee in April, funding for Stage1 of the Antigua and Barbuda HPMP was also approved.

The funding approved by the MLF is strategic for managing and sustaining the Montreal Protocol programmes and activities of the respective National Ozone Units (NOU), in the case of the Institutional Strengthening Projects and for meeting the Stage 1 phase out targets for ozone depleting Substances (ODS), up to the year 2020.

The total amount of funds approved by the Executive Committee for Parties to the Montreal Protocol in the sub-region the English Speaking Caribbean and Haiti for 2012 amounts to over one million United States dollars (US$1,000,000).

National Ozone Officer of Grenada, Mr. Leslie Smith attended the meeting as part of the Cuban delegation.  Cuba and Argentina are the elected representatives on the Executive Committee representing the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.