Status of implementation
Guidance on reporting requirements ENG FRE RUS
Implementation report drafts submitted 2007/2008
Implementation reports 2008
Implementation reports 2005
Preparation of reports for the third meeting of the Parties
Reporting requirements
Reports from international, regional and NGOs 2008
Reports from international, regional and NGOs 2005

Reporting requirements

Article 10, paragraph 2, of the Convention requires the Parties at their meetings to keep under continuous review the implementation of the Convention on the basis of regular reporting by the Parties.

The Meeting of the Parties, through Decision I/8, elaborated on this requirement and agreed upon procedures for reporting and upon the reporting format itself.

Key features of the Aarhus reporting regime

• Each Party should prepare, for each ordinary meeting of the Parties, a report on:
  1. The necessary legislative, regulatory or other measures that it has taken to implement the provisions of the Convention; and
  2. Their practical implementation according to the format set out in the annex to Decision I/8.
• Signatories and other States not Party to the Convention, pending their ratification or accession, may also submit reports on measures taken to apply the Convention.
• International organizations, engaged in programmes or activities providing support to Parties and/or other States in the implementation of the Convention, may submit reports on their programmes or activities and lessons learned.
• Reports submitted by Parties, Signatories and other States should be prepared through a transparent and consultative process involving the public. The process of preparing reports should therefore start in time for drafts to be made available for public consultation.
• Implementation reports should be submitted to the secretariat electronically and on paper in one of the official languages of the Convention, as well as in the language(s) of the Party, so as to arrive no later than 120 days before the meeting of the Parties for which it is prepared.
• The secretariat will prepare a synthesis report for each meeting of the Parties summarizing the progress made and identifying significant trends, challenges and solutions.
• The secretariat will arrange for translation of reports submitted by Parties into the other official languages and will format and circulate these together with the synthesis report as part of the official meeting documentation for the Meeting of the Parties. The reports submitted by Signatories and other States, as well as those prepared by international, regional and non-governmental organizations, will also be circulated in advance of the meeting in the language in which they are received by the secretariat.

Preparation of reports for the fourth meeting of the Parties (Chisinau, June 2011)  

For the third reporting cycle, the deadline to submit the reports to the secretariat is 8 December 2010. In order to ensure sufficient time for public consultation, it is recommended that draft reports are prepared and made available to the public by September 2010.

To ensure a meaningful consultation process and timely submission of reports, Parties may wish to consider using the following timeline for the national report preparation process, keeping in mind that, in accordance with decision II/10, the reports should be submitted to the secretariat 180 days in advance of the meeting of the Parties:

National Consultation on the content of the report
2 months: mid-June – mid-August 2010

First draft
1 month: mid-August – mid-September 2010

Consultation on the draft
1–2 months: September – early November 2010

Final report preparation (including translation, where necessary)
1 month: early November – early December 2010

NIRs submission deadline
180 days in advance of the meeting of the Parties:
8 December 2010

Parties are invited to use the consolidated reporting format - ENG FRE RUS, prepared by the secretariat to incorporate reporting on implementation of the GMO amendment and article 3, paragraph 7 concerning public participation in international forums.

For further guidance on the preparation of national implementation reports, see the Guidance on reporting requirements - ENG FRE RUS.

Implementation reports may be prepared and submitted online through the database for national reports in the Aarhus Clearinghouse. Parties, Signatories and other States are encouraged to use this method of submitting reports.

To access the online reporting format, click here.