Thank you, Chair.
The Convention requires each State Party to submit an Article 7 report not later than 30 April of each year. As of 30th of April 2022, only 34 out of 110 States Parties had submitted their annual Article 7 report. We are pleased to see new reports appearing on the UNODA website since the deadline, and urge all that have not yet done so to submit their report without delay.
Just last September, at the conclusion of the Second Review Conference, States Parties agreed in the Lausanne Action Plan to report initially and annually within the deadlines set. What does it mean when less than a third of states do so, eight months later
Transparency reporting is vital to enhance activities of States Parties, in particular those with obligations on clearance, stockpile destruction, and victim assistance. South Africa, with outstanding stockpile destruction obligations, is five years overdue.
Annual transparency reports are critical to the trust building process which is the foundation of the convention. Submission of an annual transparency report is the minimum level of participation a state can make to the convention.
The CMC would like to express its appreciation to Iraq for leading the work on transparency reporting and we remain ready to continue supporting it, including the important task of adapting the reporting forms in line with commitments of the Lausanne Action Plan.
We also thank all those states which provided their transparency reports on time and request delinquent states to submit their late transparency reports immediately. Comprehensive and on time transparency reporting build a vibrant convention.
Thank you