Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

Article 4

Co-operation in the Legal, Scientific and Technical Fields

1. The Parties shall facilitate and encourage the exchange of scientific,
technical, socio-economic, commercial and legal information relevant to
this Convention as further elaborated in annex II. Such information shall
be supplied to bodies agreed upon by the Parties. Any such body receiving
information regarded as confidential by the supplying Party shall ensure
that such information is not disclosed and shall aggregate it to protect
its confidentiality before it is made available to all Parties.

2. The Parties shall co-operate, consistent with their national laws,
regulations and practices and taking into account in particular the needs
of the developing countries, in promoting, directly or through competent
international bodies, the development and transfer of technology and
knowledge. Such co-operation shall be carried out particularly through:

(a) Facilitation of the acquisition of alternative technologies by other
Parties;
(b) Provision of information on alternative technologies and equipment,
and supply of special manuals or guides to them;
(c) The supply of necessary equipment and facilities for research and
systematic observations;
(d) Appropriate training of scientific and technical personnel.

Article 5

Transmission of Information

The Parties shall transmit, through the secretariat, to the Conference of
the Parties established under article 6 information on the measures adopted
by them in implementation of this Convention and of protocols to which they
are party in such form and at such intervals as the meetings of the parties
to the relevant instruments may determine.

Article 6

Conference of the Parties

1. A Conference of the Parties is hereby established. The first meeting of
the Conference of the Parties shall be convened by the secretariat
designated on an interim basis under article 7 not later than one year
after entry into force of this Convention. Thereafter, ordinary meetings of
the Conference of the Parties shall be held at regular intervals to be
determined by the Conference at its first meeting.

2. Extraordinary meetings of the Conference of the Parties shall be held at
such other times as may be deemed necessary by the Conference, or at the
written request of any party, provided that, within six months of the
request being communicated to them by the secretariat, it is supported by
at least one third of the Parties.

The Conference of the Parties shall by consensus agree upon and adopt rules
of procedure and financial rules for itself and for any subsidiary bodies
it may establish, as well as financial provisions governing the functioning
of the secretariat.

The Conference of the Parties shall keep under continuous review the
implementation of this Convention, and, in addition, shall:

(a) Establish the form and the intervals for transmitting the information
to be submitted in accordance with article 5 and consider such
information as well as reports submitted by any subsidiary body;
(b) Review the scientific information on the ozone layer, on its possible
modification and on possible effects of any such modification;
(c) Promote, in accordance with article 2, the harmonization of
appropriate policies, strategies and measures for minimizing the
release of substances causing or likely to cause modification of the
ozone layer, and make recommendations on any other measures relating
to this Convention;
(d) Adopt, in accordance with articles 3 and 4, programmes for research,
systematic observations, scientific and technological co-operation,
the exchange of information and the transfer of technology and
knowledge;
(e) Consider and adopt, as required, in accordance with articles 9 and
10, amendments to this Convention and its annexes;
(f) Consider amendments to any protocol, as well as to any annexes
thereto, and, if so decided, recommend their adoption to the parties
to the protocol concerned;
(g) Consider and adopt, as required, in accordance with article 10,
additional annexes to this Convention;
(h) Consider and adopt, as required, protocols in accordance with article
8;
(i) Establish such subsidiary bodies as are deemed necessary for the
implementation of this Convention;
(j) Seek, where appropriate, the services of competent international
bodies and scientific committees, in particular the World
Meteorological Organization and the World Health Organization, as
well as the Co-ordinating Committee on the Ozone Layer, in scientific
research, systematic observations and other activities pertinent to
the objectives of this Convention, and make use as appropriate of
information from these bodies and committees;
(k) Consider and undertake any additional action that may be required for
the achievement of the purposes of this Convention.

5. The United Nations, its specialized agencies and the International
Atomic Energy Agency, as well as any State not party to this Convention,
may be represented at meetings of the Conference of the Parties by
observers. Any body or agency, whether national or international,
governmental or nongovernmental, qualified in fields relating to the
protection of the ozone layer which has informed the secretariat of its
wish to be represented at a meeting of the Conference of the Parties as an
observer may be admitted unless at least one-third of the Parties present
object. The admission and participation of observers shall be subject to
the rules of procedure adopted by the Conference of the Parties.

Author: international