Honourable Vice Minister Zhu Guangyao
Honourable Governors and Mayors
Distinguished Guests,Ladies and Gentlemen,good morning

    I am pleased to be here today representing UNDP to celebrate the success of the Montreal Protocol in protecting the ozone layer.l also like to express my sincere congatulations to the successful completion of the early phase-out activities of CFCs and Halons in the seven of the 12 demonstration provinces and cities for the implerylentation of the Accelerated Phase-out in China.

    The activity of Ozone Friendly Cities demonstration project is implemented jointly by SEPA and UNDP under the China Solvent Sector Plan funded by the Multilateral Fund.

    The success can be attributed to the closed cooperation and excellent efforts of the 12 provincial and municipal governments that participate.As this activity was initiated by SEPA and UNDP just one year ago during the last Ozone Day celebration in Shenzhen,I am very happy to see the achievements of this sub-project and the support extended to the 12cities /provinces to phase out CFCs /Halons locally.

    China and UNDP have a long history of cooperation in ozone layer protection.UNDP started assisting China in 1990 through a detailed ODS survey funded through UNDP and the Government of Finland,even before the Multilateral Fund financial mechanism became operational. During 1991-1993,UNDP was the lead multilateral agency assisting China in the developrrlent of its Country Programme for the Elimination of Ozone DepletingSubstances and helped China defend this programme during i ts approvalby the M ontrealP rotocolps E xecutive Committee in March 1993.

    Since that time UNDP has cooperated with China on its Institutional Strengthening project,with technical assistance and investment projects in many industrialsectors.UNDP's cooperation with SEPA and other Ministries was channeled through two of its offices,the UNDP Country Office in China and the MontrealProtocol Unit under the Energy and Environment Group of the Bureau for DeveiOPInent Policy in New York headquarters.

    The theme of this Year's celebration,"Protect the Ozone Layer: Save Life on Earth,"invites the international community to build on its achievements to date by accelerating the phase-out of ozone depleting su bstances.

    UNDP,together with SEPA are also now completing the seventh year of successful implementation of the China Solvent Sector Phase-out Plan,a 1O-year $52million sector phase-out plan that developed strategic plans and innovative solutions to address the phase out of ozone depleting solvents used by more than 2,20O small and medium-sized consuming enterprises,scattered all over China.
    UNDP's partnership with China through financing of the Multilateral Fund has helped Chinese enterprises to acquire knowledge covering innovative and environmentally sustainable industrial approaches that have helped small-and medium-scale enterprises to maintain their competitiveness,thereby protecting existing jobs while helping to create new ones.The provision of technical assistance and training,in tandem with technology transfer,has allowed the introduction of best practices, improve factory conditions and create a more healthy and safety working environment.

    One of the main challenges will be for China to enhance local legislative and command control system of monitoring and inspection on producing,distributing and transporting ozone depleting substances at municipal and provincial level,in order to sustain the phase-out efforts. UNDP is working with SEPA on this front,to initiate the 12 ozone Friendly Cities activity at last year's Ozone Day,and we can already see the outstanding achievements obtained during this short period.

    Starting this year,UNDP also works with SEPA and Chinese Customs on prohibiting illegaltrade of ozone depletingsubstances.We will continue to enhance UNDPFs partnership with China through the successful implementation of China Solvent Sector Plan as well as the dose cooperation with central and local government.

    I am pleased to see that this success of China contributes to ensuring environmental sustainability,one of the Millennium Development Goals.Protection of the ozone layer results in protection of all life on earth and fits into the forward-boldngagenda for sustainable development.These twelve provinces and cities have taken concrete

    actions and formulate regulations to ban the production and consumption of CFCs and Halon one year ahead of the nationalschedule,it will no doubt create a favourable environment in their respectivelocality to ensure sustainable action in protecting the ozone layer.

    This clear linkage between the project and these broader objectives shared by both UNDP and China explains the importance that we attribute to this project.As China is the largest producer and consumer of ODS,the commitment to accelerated phase out of CFCs and Halons by China will no doubt results in significant reduction in emission,and thus benefiting human life globaliy.

    Meeting the Millennium Developing Goals is not the task of the government alone.I appeal to Governments,in partnership with industry, non-governmental organizations and citizens all over the world,to celebrate this Year's international Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer as well as meetingthe broader sustainable development objectives.

    The awards presented today to the many provinces and cities not only higNight their achievements,but more importantly the realization of their commitments signed last year on accelerated phase out.This is a very encouraging sign of the proactive action taken by China,I congratulate China on its leadership and the significant contribution to protectingthe globalenvironment.

    Thank you.