An interview of Mali’s National Ozone Officer, Modibo Sacko by Anne-Maria Fenner, UN Environment, OzonAction
It all dates back to the history of Mali, a desert and land-locked country where climate change plays a huge role.
After the adoption of the Kigali Amendment in October 2016, the Malian delegation was at the Marrakech Climate Change conference where the Paris Agreement entered into force. One recommendation of the Marrakech conference was to ratify the Kigali Amendment. All responsible politicians of the Government of Mali were in Marrakech; the Head of State, as Head of the African group of climate change negotiations, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Energy, the Minister of Economy and eleven parliamentarians, representatives of the Council of local collectivities.
The call of the two conventions on climate was heard! The National Ozone Unit (NOU) wrote a technical note on the Kigali Amendment with recommendations to the Minister of Foreign Affairs who presented it to the Council of Ministers who in turn agreed on it in February 2017. So the fastest way was selected: acceptance. On 24 March 2017, Mali’s Foreign Affairs sent the Permanent Representative of Mali to the UN in New York the instrument of acceptance, to forward to the UN Secretary General. On 31 March 2017, it was announced that Mali was the first country in the world to ratify the Kigali Amendment. Subsequently other countries requested assistance from Mali in their ratification process and the NOU provided guidance.
A good political synergy between the government and legislature is the key to success, as parliamentarians are included in all important environmental meetings. They are involved in every step of the process. There is always an Environmental Commission in Parliament which must be involved.
The success of the ratification of the Kigali Amendment is an action for the fight against climate change. It promotes the success of the Paris Agreement as the Kigali Amendment is in line with it.
The NOUs should involve the government as success is obtained through cooperation.
For more information please contact:
Modibo Sacko
National Ozone Officer
Mali Email: sakhoam@icloud.com
Anne-Maria Fenner
Information Officer
UN Environment, OzonAction
Email: anne.fenner@un.org
UN Environment Programme is an Implementing Agency of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol. OzonAction is part of UN Environment Programme's Law Division and serves 147 developing countries through the Compliance Assistance Programme.