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Tribute to the Late Mr. K. Madhava Sarma

Sarma
Mr. K. Madhava Sarma with Mrs. Ramalakshmi Sarma and daughter, Gouthami

It is with deep regret that the Ozone Secretariat wishes to inform the Montreal Protocol community of the passing of Mr. Madhava Sarma, a pioneer in ozone protection, an outstanding statesman and leader who guided UNEP's Ozone Secretariat from 1991 to 2000. Mr. Sarma passed away on 30 September 2010.

It is undoubtedly the case that all of those who knew Mr. Sarma have fond memories of his grace and dignity as a representative of both the United Nations and the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. Among the members of the Ozone Secretariat who had the privilege of serving with him, Mr. Sarma will always be remembered for his kindness, as well as his exceptional dedication and commitment to both protection of the ozone layer and to supporting the needs of the Parties.

Mr. Sarma's outstanding contributions to the protection of the ozone layer are known by all who are familiar with the ozone regime. First as a delegate from India, and then as the Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, he was instrumental in leading the Montreal Protocol as it grew from a fledgling treaty with fewer than 50 Parties, to one that, by the time he left, had well over 150 Parties. During that time, and through three Amendments to the Protocol, his vision, wisdom and leadership helped shape the ozone protection regime, the success of which is recognized worldwide.

Mr. Sarma will be missed by all whose lives he touched. We will cherish his memories and guidance, and we express our gratitude for having known him. In his life, he achieved the accolade to which many of us aspire - as we can truly say of him, that the world is a better place because of his contributions.

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The Secretariat would like to issue a remembrance book that compiles messages that we receive from friends and colleagues to share their feelings regarding Mr. Sarma's passing and to celebrate his life. Please send your messages to Ozone.Info@unep.org. The book will be published on this website and it will be updated periodically until after the 22nd Meeting of the Parties (MOP22). At MOP22 we will hold a moment of silence to remember Mr. Sarma.

REMEMBRANCE BOOK ( Version 4: 28 October 2010)

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Brief biography:

2000-2010: Consultant on ozone protection issues and other global environmental work including synergies among multilateral environmental agreements; Senior Expert Member of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) of the Montreal Protocol; Co-author with Stephen O. Andersen of Protecting the Ozone Layer: the United Nations History (Earthscan, co-published by UNEP 2002), and with Stephen O. Andersen and Kristen N. Taddonio of Technology Transfer for the Ozone Layer: Lessons for Climate Change (Earthscan 2007).
2005-2010: Trustee Secretary, Board of Directors, Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), involvement with CMI from 2001
2006-2010: Member, Board of Directors, Shriram EPC Ltd.
1991-2000: Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat, UNEP.
1961-1991: Served in the Indian government in various capacities as a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from 1962, including in the Indian Delegation to the Montreal Protocol negotiations; as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forests and earlier over a 25-year span in district administration, state level management of water supply, irrigation and public works departments and municipal administration of the cities of Chennai and Madurai.
Awards: 1996 US EPA Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award; 1995 UNEP Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Ozone Layer Protection; 2005 Special Vienna Convention Award for Ozone Layer Protection; 2007 US EPA Best-of-the Best Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award; 2007 Montreal Protocol Visionary Award.