Statement on Transparency Reporting

ICBL Statement on Transparency Reporting (Article 7)
Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty
2 December 2010

Thank you Mr. Chair and thanks also to Belgium for chairing the Article 7 Contact Group.

Submitting annual Article 7 transparency reports is a legal obligation, and one that is necessary to help measure the successful implementation of the Treaty and the Cartagena Action Plan. We would like to commend those States Parties that have submitted regular, detailed reports, as well as those States not Party that have provided voluntary transparency reports.

However, this year only 85 States Parties met this legal obligation and submitted a report covering calendar year 2009, and a large number of these came in long after the 30 April due date. The compliance rate for Article 7 reporting has gone from a high of 79% in 2003, to this year's dismal 54% compliance rate, the lowest on record. More disturbingly, of the 71 States Parties that have not submitted a report for calendar year 2009, most have not submitted an annual transparency report for two or more years. Of the reports submitted, many contain insufficient detail, including on key treaty obligations they are still implementing.

Moreover, Equatorial Guinea now stands as the only State Party to have never submitted a report. Its initial report was due in August 1999.

Last December in Cartagena, States Parties committed themselves to a pragmatic plan to ensure the Treaty's full implementation, including steps to fulfill their legal reporting obligations. But commitment on paper in the Cartagena Action Plan has not yet resulted in real action by States Parties. We call on States Parties with outstanding Article 7 reports to submit them without delay, covering activities through 2009. By 30 April 2011 States Parties should submit updated reports covering activities in 2010. These reports should include full details on the implementation of all the Treaty's provisions.

Preparing and submitting Article 7 reports need not be an onerous task. Information on the implementation of each aspect of the Treaty should be readily accessible to those preparing reports. The reporting format allows many states to simple select "unchanged" or "not applicable" for relevant items on the report's cover sheet.

Article 7 reporting has been carried out for over a decade, and should be getting easier for states, not harder. Not only do we want to see 100% of reports submitted, but we want to see reports submitted to a standard that renders them a useful tool for the international community to measure and assess progress and remaining challenges.

We welcome Belgium's efforts to increase dialogue and discussion of how to improve both the quantity and quality of Article 7 reports, and encourage states to support these efforts not only by engaging in this process with Belgium, but submitting quality, on time reports.

This year the Landmine Monitor annual report had many "good news" stories. There is much to report, much of it positive reporting on progress, but also reporting on the work ahead, and what is needed to carry out this work. Article 7 reports, rather than being seen as a burden, should be seen as a way to share good news, and lay the groundwork to ensure that there is more to share and celebrate in the future.

Thank you.