Multilateral Environmental Agreements on the Ground – Lessons from Supporting Implementation of the Montreal Protocol

Abstract: “The growing realisation that environmentalchallenges need global responses hasled to an increasing number of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). Their implementation at the national level oftenmeets significant challenges, especially incountries with weak governance structuresand poor institutional capacity. The purpose of this report is to take a closer look at a number of national implementation issues, by taking stock of and discussing the experiences we have made from 1999 to 2006 within a Swedish-supported bilateral programme under the Montreal Protocol, which regulates the phase-out of production and consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS), the so-called Swedish Ozone Layer Protection programme (OLP).

The importance of country ownership in the Montreal Protocol implementation can hardly be overestimated. The OLP has found that through conscious efforts, both the locus of initiative and consensus building can be strengthened, thereby increasing the country ownership. Capacity building within the respective countries is an effective route towards sustained implementation in the longrun. The report notes that capacity building is time consuming in the short run, and therefore demands extra resources also on behalf of the implementing agencies.

Stakeholder participation has been integral to effectiveimplementation of the Montreal Protocol. The OLP aimed for early involvement of industrystakeholders, for example in meetings with the national ozone units. It was found that along project planning phase is also more likelyto secure full participation of stakeholdersduring later phases.

Clearly, a shift towards country ownership, capacity building and stakeholder involvement as core aspects of MEA implementation support would appear as something of a paradigm shift within international and national agencies, which cannot be quicklyimposed. However, a number of direct changes can be achieved through organisational and procedural measures.

First, the national units responsible forimplementing and reporting on MEAs need to be given high status in the government organisation and a clear role and mandate.This facilitates long-term country ownership, and reinforces the incentives of policy officers to secure sustainable changes.

Second, the procedures of policy coordination between ministries and agencies affected– also those indirectly affected – by the implementation must be enhanced. This establishes participation of the various interests and policy sectors which is required to enable the development of a coherent institutional and legal framework within which implementation can proceed.

Third, the formal and informal incentive structures for desk officers need reforming– in both implementing agencies and national authorities. Today, administrative success is normally measured in terms of the number and volume of projects and investments made, with little evaluation concerning the long-term sustainability or real outcome and impact of the projects.

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