50 Department of State Doc No 005327496 Date 03 03 2015 CABLE SENT 5 9 TO FAIM 8713231W United States Depanmer b Stale gm Washington 0 20520 -- RELEASED IN $3133 4- 5 04 IQ CONFIDENTIAL '87 m -8 P122 33 may 1987 3 3% @533 ACTION MEMORANDUM 5 51 a 8 8 $ 51 51 - a a T0 The Acting Secretary 0 gzeh OES John D Negroponte 3 C25 03 EM SUBJECT Ozone Protection Negotiations Sl When you met with UN Environment Program Executive Director Mostafa Tolba in February you urged him to take an active role in the negotiations to control ozone depleting chemicals Under Tolba's effective leadership difficult but productive negotiations last week brought participating nations within reach of agreement on a protocol I suggest you send the attached message to Tolba to commend his leadership The Geneva Round In Geneva last week Tolba who had not participated personally in previous rounds organized a small group consisting only of heads of delegation from the US Richard UK Denmark Belgium and Commission Canada Norway USSR and Japan The resultant nonbinding Chairman' s draft for the key article on controls provided for a freeze on certain CFC's at 1986 levels within two I years of the protocol's entry into force EIF Tolba strongly urged that the protocol be ratified by 1988 which would imply a freeze effective in 1990 a 20% reduction two years later 1992 a further reduction of 30% for which two Options were provided 1 six years afer EIF 1994 if a majority of the parties so decide or- Z eight years after EIF 1996 unless 2 3 of the parties otherwise decide Four years before this reduction there would be a scientific technical economic assessment further actions to be decided by the parties later None of the delegations gave formal assent to this package Some Canada Nordics Switzerland New Zealand indicated that it might be too weak and others EC USSR Japan that it CONFIDENTIAL DECL OADR REVIEW AUTHORITY Adolph Eisner Senior Reviewer 5 7 far 2 2 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Doc No 005327496 Date 03 03 2015 6IFIED US Department of State Caseme-Rg mfg g Doc No 005327496 Date 03 03 2015 9W might be too strong Benedict stated that the 086 would carefully examine the details Nevertheless there was general agreement that this text is probably not far_from what the eventual protocol might look like Progress was made on other aspects particularly toward including a broader number of chemicals as the U S has urged but many points remain to be decided including the precise substances to be covered and treatment of non-parties late-joiners and developing countries Next Steps Tolba has asked that all delegations submit their governments' comments on the Chairman's draft to him by June 19 Tolba s small group will then meet in Brussels June 29 30 when he hepes to reach sufficient agreement that a legal group can prepare a near-final text July 6-8 Formal negotiations would resume September 8 11 in Montreal followed by the Diplomatic Conference September l4 16 for signing the protocol Since 0MB Interior and others have requested a Cabinet decision on the protocol the Domestic Policy Council will meet this month to consider the U S position EPA's Lee Thomas wants a firm quasi-automatic schedule to provide strong incentives for industry to develop substitutes others Interior 0MB OSTP OPD will resist this - - A Senate Baucus Chafee hearing next week will question Thomas Benedict and other Administration officials on our intentions Some environmentalists are disappointed that we did not hold out for a 95 percent CFC reduction others feel i this is a reasonable text given the original intransigence of the EC Japan and USSR US press commentary has been strongly favorable to what is described as a tentative accord If the UPC departs significantly from this there will be political costs Recommendation That you approve the attached message to Tolba SHAY ml Attachments 1 Cable to Tolba 2 State 59840 report on Tolba visit CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Doc No 005327496 Date 03 03 2015 FEED US Department of State Doc No 005327496 Date 03 03 2015 Letter to Deputy Secretary from Amb Negroponte Drafter 4658 X79312 Clearance 0ES E REBenedickik z's UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Doc No 005327496 Date 03 03 2015 5 3 2 7 4 9 US Department of State Doc No 005327498 Date 03 03 2015 Vivi 57 f UNCLASSIFIED ubB T FELEASEDINFULH I 5 7 57 EXTPRIORITY MI na oa-nu n - - -- UNEP - - SENV -UNEP - 332g - NESSAGE TO TOLHA ON OZONE PROTECTION NEGOTIATIONS PLEASE DELIVER THE FOLLOUING NESSAGE TO UNEP R55 DIRECTOR TOLBA - DEAR DR spy RICHARD BENEDICR THE HEAD OF OUR DELEGATION TO THE EP 4 NEGOTIATIONS ON A PROTOCOL TO CONTROL OZONE-DEPLETING II SUBSTANCES HAS REPORTED TO HE ON THE PROGRESS NADE LAST NEEK IN GENEVA UNDER YOUR ABLE LEADERSHIP NHEN NE NET LAST FEBRUARY I SAID I HOPED YOU UOULD TAKE AN ACTIVE PERSONAL ROLE IN HOVING THESE NEGOTIATIONS I AN VERY i PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOUR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN THE THIRD ROUND HAS ENABLED THE NEGOTIATIONS TO ADVANCE SIGNIFICANTLY I HOPE YOU UILL CONTINUE YOUR ACTIVE 1 PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT TO BRING THIS IHPORTANT EFFORT To FRUITION NITH SIGNATURE OF AN EFFECTIVE PROTOCOL IN - HONTREAL THIS SEPTENBER SREVIEW AUTHORITY Adolph Eisner Senior Reviewer I I I UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Doc No C05327498 Date 03 03 2015 ZIED us D partment of State Doc No 005327498 Date 03 03 2015 i I UNCLASSIFIED MITH ALL BEST JOHN C UHITEHEAD ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE Y9 -- UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Doc No 005327498 Date 03 03 2015                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu