The Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection and the China Customs Administration, in cooperation with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), convened a dialogue on issues related to illegal trade in Urumqi, China, from 23-25 June 2009.

Customs and Ozone Officers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the dialogue, which provided the opportunity to exchange information between neighboring countries. The training sought to raise awareness of Customs Officers on their important role in protecting the ozone layer and preventing illegal trade with ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and to provide information on commonly used smuggling schemes. The meeting agreed 25 recommendations related to the implementation of policy measures, including bans on placing virgin CFCs on the market, labelling requirements for refrigerant cylinders, registration and certification schemes for technicians and companies dealing with ODS, log-book keeping for importers, exporters and dealers of ODS. and mandatory proof of origin for ODS imports.
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OzonAction media briefing