South Sudan calls for collective action to protect ozone layer

JUBA – South Sudan’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry has called for joint efforts to safeguard the ozone layer as it joined the rest of the globe in celebrating World Ozone Day.

World Ozone Day, also known as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, is observed globally each year on September 16, but the country pushed it to 28 October.

Speaking during a celebration in Juba on Tuesday, Joseph Africano Bartel, Undersecretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, stated that the ministry is collaborating with partners to achieve the goals of the protocol.

“We in the Ministry will continue to work with all the stakeholders to ensure that we achieve the objectives of this protocol. We know that we are yet to ratify the Kigali amendment,” Bartel said.

“We are in the process, but we are kind of frustrated because there is a lot of turnover in the ministries. You submit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they review, and then a new person comes in and changes the goalpost, referring to the Ministry of Justice.”

In November 2024, the Council of Ministers approved the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a global agreement aimed at phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

Signed in 1987 and effective from 1989, it was the first treaty to achieve universal ratification.

The protocol mandates binding obligations for both developed and developing countries to phase out substances like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty aimed at protecting the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

For his part, Mr. David Batali Oliver, Director General of Planning at the Ministry of Environment said South Sudan ratified Montreal Protocol, affirming its commitment to protection the ozone layer.

“South Sudan acceded to the Montreal Protocol in 2012. So, the principal aim of the Montreal Protocol is to protect the ozone layer by taking measures to control total global production and consumption of the substances that deplete the ozone layer,” Batali said.

He stated that the country ratified with the primary goal of eliminating these substances based on advancements in scientific knowledge and technological information.

“So, we became part of the Montreal Protocol, and I just want to make clear to you that among the UN conventions, the Montreal Protocol is the most successful protocol that has been implemented globally. Everything has been moving smoothly.”

The ozone layer is the invisible shield in the Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, preventing them from reaching the surface and protecting humans, animals, plants, biodiversity, oceans, and ecosystems from extensive damage.