The Thirty-Sixth Meeting of the Parties,

Recalling decision XXXV/14 and taking note with appreciation of the information reported by the Ozone Secretariat at the forty-sixth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the recommendations arising from the twelfth meeting of the Ozone Research Managers of the Parties to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer,^[1] in particular the recommendation on research needs to enhance monitoring of ongoing emissions at the global and regional scales, especially in under-sampled regions, and the recommendations on gaps in the global coverage of atmospheric monitoring of controlled substances and options to enhance such monitoring,

Noting that the selection of suitable locations for the establishment of monitoring of emissions of controlled substances on a regional basis is the first stage in developing a more comprehensive approach to understanding the sources of emissions,

Recalling decision VI/2 of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention, on ozone‑related monitoring and research activities for the Vienna Convention,

Decides:  

1. To request the Ozone Secretariat, in consultation with the Advisory Committee of the General Trust Fund for Financing Activities on Research and Systematic Observations Relevant to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, to organize activities for the specific purpose of evaluating the suitability of potential sites for monitoring regional emissions of controlled substances with a 2025 budget line item of 400,000 United States dollars from the cash balance of the Trust Fund for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, on an exceptional basis, and to request the Ozone Secretariat to report to the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol at its forty-seventh meeting and the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on progress and any outcomes of those activities for review by the parties;
2. To also request the Ozone Secretariat to support the work of the Advisory Committee of the General Trust Fund in mapping possible locations for monitoring controlled substances using existing facilities that are currently being used to monitor other substances and reaching out to other organizations to determine possible interest in coordinating monitoring or sharing monitoring facilities;
3. To invite parties to the Vienna Convention to:
   1. Request the Ozone Secretariat, in consultation with the Advisory Committee of the General Trust Fund, to carry out projects to evaluate the suitability of potential sites for monitoring regional emissions of controlled substances, taking into consideration the following aspects:
      1. The suitability of potential sites, in consultation with the party concerned, for providing regionally representative data covering areas in which controlled substances are produced, used or emitted in substantial volumes at measurable concentration levels, while addressing existing gaps in atmospheric monitoring and avoiding duplication with the coverage of existing and planned monitoring sites;
      2. The potential for partnering with scientific institutions that can provide personnel for or technical expertise in the collection, management and analysis of data or other in-kind contributions;
      3. The potential cost savings and other benefits of relying on existing infrastructure and/or monitoring networks;
      4. The capacity to coordinate the calibration of equipment and validation of data with other controlled substance monitoring stations and networks;
      5. The sharing of data between monitoring stations and the potential to integrate new monitoring capability and newly obtained data into existing monitoring and data networks;
      6. The importance of consulting with the relevant party prior to undertaking exploratory measurements at potential monitoring locations;
   2. Add the atmospheric monitoring of controlled substances as a purpose of the General Trust Fund;
   3. Confirm that the Advisory Committee of the General Trust Fund can include additional experts on the monitoring of controlled substances;
   4. Entrust the Ozone Secretariat to modify the terms of reference of the General Trust Fund and of its Advisory Committee, in accordance with the present decision;
   5. Request the Advisory Committee of the General Trust Fund to accept guidance and to report on its progress to the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and to subsequent meetings of the parties;

4. To request the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol to consider a funding modality to support a limited number of pilot projects to enhance regional atmospheric monitoring of substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol, guided by the scientific advice of the Advisory Committee of the General Trust Fund in relation to the location and establishment of new monitoring facilities, and to report to the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the Parties on work carried out to develop such a funding modality for further consideration;
5. To also request the Ozone Secretariat to provide any updates with regard to its cost estimates and options for long-term financing associated with enhancing atmospheric monitoring, as provided for under decision XXXV/14, for consideration by the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the Parties.

 ^[1] See document UNEP/OzL.Conv.13/6, annex.