SUMMARY REPORT ON OZONE RESEARCH THE GAMBIA The Ozone Unit of the National Environment Agency of the Gambia is supervised by the Technical Services Network Directorate of its Ozone related activities including the monitoring of Ozone Depleting Substances. For Gambia to play a more important role in the monitoring of atmospheric Ozone its research capabilities needs to be boosted so that atmospheric Ozone can be monitored from ground stations. For this to be a reality the Ozone Unit will have to forge a link with local and international organizations to acquire the necessary skills and inputs to establish such research stations. The Ozone Unit is indeed planning to collaborate with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ,the United Nations Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO) World Metrological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment programme to set up Ozone monitoring centers .In a bid to full filling this aspiration the Ozone Unit has set up an National Ozone Committee on Ozone Depleting Substances ( NACODS) to ensure that Ozone related issues are monitored country wide and new innovations and developments initiated to contribute to the international data base on atmospheric Ozone monitoring. OZONE MONITORING CURRENT STATUS The Gambia at the moment does not have a scientific Ozone Monitoring center or centers that can monitor the Ozone Layer from the ground none the less for the Ozone office to attain its aims and objectives and to fully integrate with the international community on the monitoring of the Ozone Layer it is important the country gets fully equipped Ozone Monitoring centers in all the major regions. We monitor imports of Ozone Depleting Substances by collecting Data from importers and refrigeration technicians country wide. The Data is reported to the Ozone Secretariat, the Ozone Action and the Multilateral Fund Secretariat. FUTURE OZONE MONITORING PLANS The national Committee on Ozone Depleting Substance in collaboration with the National Ozone Unit has plans to set up Ozone monitoring centers to enable the unit carry out monitoring programmes of the Ozone Layer and Gases that are vented into the atmosphere The Ozone Unit plans to seek for funding to build the capacities of Ozone Unit Staff and other stake holders like refrigeration technicians to be able operationalize Ozone Monitoring centers and help in the reporting of the Data to the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Metrological Organization. The Unit plans to conduct study tours to countries or parties that already have successful monitoring mechanism to learn from their experts on the monitoring of stratospheric Ozone Layer In a bid to building the capacity of our Local Expertise we plan to cooperate internationally with developed countries to transfer their technologies to not only Gambia but countries with the West African region. FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS Funding of major and sustainable research on atmospheric Ozone is hindered by limitation in funds, so we are recommending that some funding is sought for article five countries to enable them carry our scientific research on Stratospheric Ozone. Stratospheric research data is almost nonexistent in the West Africa Sub Region, therefore the United Nations Environment programme needs to come up with an incentive to organize sub regional training programmes on how to get research centers to facilitating the collection of Atmospheric Data. For international organizations like World Metrological Organization identify successful Ozone Research Centers to enable third world countries visit such countries to learn from them their initiatives in the field of stratospheric research. CONCLUSION Securing funds to purchase computers and build the capacity of local staff and other stake holders to facilitating sustainable Stratospheric Ozone Monitoring and yearly reporting to the Ozone Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme.