The import of illegal ozone-depleting substances could be thwarted due to the informal Prior Informed Consent Procedure (iPIC) mechanism.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has won the Montreal Protocol Award for successfully preventing the illegal import of six tons of ozone-depleting substances during 2019–2020.

The award was handed over by the United Nations Environment Program, namely UNEP OzonAction, to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), at an event held virtually on Wednesday (March 29, 2023).

"The import of illegal ozone-depleting substances could be thwarted due to the informal Prior Informed Consent Procedure (iPIC) mechanism," the ministry's director general of climate change control, Laksmi Dwanti, informed in Jakarta on Thursday.

She explained that iPIC is a platform for the voluntary exchange of information regarding plans for the export-import of ozone-depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) between the Montreal Protocol party countries.

The platform was built by UNEP to support countries in providing detailed information on importers and exporters of registered ozone-depleting substances and HFCs to other state parties.

iPIC consultations between Indonesia and the European Union helped thwart the illegal export of six tons of the chemical compound HCFC-123, which was to be used in fire extinguishers, from the European Union to Indonesia, Dwanti informed.

"The HCFC-123 importer is not registered as an importer of ozone-depleting substances. The importer did not have an import permit and allocation. Therefore, we requested the HCFC-123 export request from Europe to be canceled," she disclosed.

UNEP OzonAction routinely works with the Ozone Secretariat and the World Customs Organization (WCO) to present awards to customs and excise officers, as well as officials who are authorized to control the consumption of ozone-depleting substances.

The latest awarding ceremony was attended by 18 countries: Bulgaria, China, France, Georgia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and the European Union/Commission.

Dwanti said that illegal imports of HCFCs could have an impact on policies for eliminating the consumption of ozone-depleting substances, especially HCFCs in Indonesia.

She expressed the hope that the award would encourage the Indonesian government to improve the monitoring of imports of ozone-depleting substances and HFCs in the future.

The Indonesian government is committed to increasing efforts to exchange information regarding the export-import of ozone-depleting substances and HFCs through iPIC with all countries in the Montreal Protocol as part of efforts to protect the ozone layer and contribute to climate change prevention.

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Translator: Sugiharto Purnomo, Resinta S
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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