Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna has stated that the Maldives will always comply with and respect the provisions of the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer. She made the remark at the opening ceremony of the South Asia National Ozone Officers Network Meeting and Green Customs Initiatives Capacity Building Workshop held from May 21-25.
At the event, Minister Shauna said the Maldives has remained consistent in advocating for solutions to environmental issues and is now preparing to stop emissions of dangerous hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2024. As such, she said that Customs officers have been trained to stop the import of substances that harm the environment.
Speaking to PSM News, Project Coordinator of the National Ozone Unit Ibrahim Fauzan Fathuhulla said that representatives of South Asian countries and multilateral agencies are also participating in the meeting to share information on the work being done by the customs and ozone officers of South Asian countries and on the use of technology to find solutions.
Around 25 representatives from 10 South Asian countries, including China and India, are participating in the meeting organised by the Compliance Assistance Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology. The meeting is also attended by the Multilateral Fund Secretariat, the Ozone Secretariat, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the BRS Secretariat, and the World Bank and Green Customs Initiative, World Customs Organisation, and Interpol.