VIENNA, 19 June 2013 - The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has been ranked as the best implementing agency of the Montreal Protocol for 2012, according to a new evaluation report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This annual evaluation of the performance of implementing agencies has ranked UNIDO nine times as the top implementing agency over the last ten years, amongst UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank.

The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty, which entered into force in 1989 and is up to date ratified by 196 countries. It has been considered crucial in the efforts to restore and protect the ozone layer by phasing-out various substances believed to be responsible for the ozone depletion.  It is also the first-ever international agreement to achieve universal ratification.

The evaluation paper gave UNIDO the highest possible score of 100 point and stated that the Organization achieved eight out of eight targets.

“This is a truly historic achievement. No other Agency has ever reached such a score until now,” said Si Ahmed, Director of UNIDO’s Montreal Protocol Branch.

“UNIDO has a diversity of projects under the Montreal Protocol. We are working in every corner of the world – from China and Indonesia, to Iran, to Turkey, Morocco and Egypt, to Mexico. We help local governments and industries upgrade technologies and become more efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly.”

As one of the main implementation agencies of the Montreal Protocol, UNIDO has helped in the phasing-out of more than one-third of ozone-depleting substances in the developing world. So far, over 60 developing countries have benefited from UNIDO’s support in phasing out ozone depleting substances.