Naresh Dayal (India) expressed concern about the availability of resources for implementing and monitoring activities, and noted financial resources and technology transfer are crucial for achieving compliance.

Deon Alexander Stewart (Bahamas) emphasized the importance of having a financial mechanism that will meet the needs of developing countries, especially Small Island Developing States.

Rajae Chafil (Morocco) urged donors and implementing agencies to carry out scientific and technical capacity-building programmes that reflect the needs of developing countries. Navaan-Yunden Oyndari (Mongolia) appealed to donor countries to provide further support to the GEF. Daniel A. Reifsnyder (the US) called for an unbiased approach to this work, suggesting the employment of an independent contractor.

Angelina Medete (Tanzania - above right) highlighted the need to quantify funding required to enable developing countries to implement their Convention obligations. Therese Yarde (Barbados - above left) stressed that the document on modalities for needs assessment is essential in determining funding needs, and requested that parties be allowed to review and comment further on the draft modalities document before its submission to COP-3.

Laurent Granier (the GEF - above right) noted that it would welcome clarification from the COP on eligibility criteria. Having consulted with the African Group and Arab States, Tarek El Ruby (Egypt) reiterated the need for principles and eligibility criteria to apply to all developing countries. Delegates then agreed to create a contact group to prepare a draft decision on financial resources.

Delegates discussed three options for a global monitoring plan. John A. Pwamang (Ghana - above right) favored Option Two, a global plan based on a network of existing international and national programmes with initial elements to address priority gaps in regional coverage and features to enable future strategic enhancement of regional contributions. COP-2 President Kiddle (above left) summarized the debate, noting that effectiveness evaluation will be an ongoing process and will include monitoring of global POPs levels, progress under national implementation plans (NIPs) and compliance. He requested that a contact group on the issue convene to design a draft mechanism.

Paul Whylie (Secretariat, Stockholm Convention - above left) presented the documents on the evaluation of the continued need for DDT for disease vector control (UNEP/POPS/COP.2/4) and alternative strategies to replace DDT (UNEP/POPS/COP.2/INF/3). He noted resources available for reporting, assessing and building capacity activities related to DDT. Angelina Medete (Tanzania - above right) noted the importance of also evaluating DDT alternatives. Acknowledging the need for using DDT as disease control, Thomas Jakl (Austria, for the EU- above middle) suggested establishing an information clearing house for DDT alternatives, and inviting the GEF to assist in phasing-out DDT use for malaria control.

Fatoumata Ouane (Secretariat, Stockholm Convention - above left) introduced the relevant document (UNEP/POPS/COP.2/5) on criteria for the review process for entries in the register of specific exemptions. Cristian Maquieira (Chile - above right) called for better definition of the notes in Annex A (Elimination) and B (Restriction) of the Convention.

The budget contact group, chaired by Osvaldo Alvarez (Chile), met in the afternoon. Many participants asked the Secretariat for clarification on, inter alia: long-term running costs of activities related to the clearing-house mechanism; the review of the toolkit for identification and quantification of dioxin and furan releases; and effectiveness evaluation. The group will reconvene on Wednesday.

The financial resources contact group, chaired by Jozef Buys (Belgium - below middle), started discussion of a draft decision on financial resources while regional consultations to identify a co-chair continued. Delegates began with a review of suitability of the possible actions proposed by the Secretariat in the various documents related to financial resources (UNEP/POPS/COP.2/16 and /17) and the recommendations contained in the draft review of the financial mechanism (UNEP/POPS/COP.2/INF/9). The contact group will reconvene on Wednesday.