Natural Resources and Violent Conflict - WaterWiki.net

98 crossin, hayman, and taylorThere are also clear contextual issues to be taken into account whendesigning any commodity tracking system, such as how the agreedcontrols interact with multilateral trade agreements under the WorldTrade Organization (WTO).Table 4.1 sets out the major international agreements imposingcommodity control regimes and their associated administrative bodies.Drawing lessons from these regimes, we propose five basic elementsof a sound generic tracking system alongside five contextualconsiderations.The five necessary elements are common definitions and reportingrequirements, efficient reporting structure and effective informationexchange, commodity labeling and audited chain-of-custody arrangements,effective compliance and enforcement measures, and capacitybuilding. The following list details each.• Common definitions and reporting requirements: (a) Agreementon common definitions, standards, and reporting requirementsis essential for coordinated action. (b) Clear goals and targets for regulationmust be identified. (c) Involvement of national, international,and interregional stakeholders, including the private sector, civilsociety, and relevant nongovernmental organizations, is necessaryto promote the legitimacy of control measures. (d) Agreement shouldbe international in scope and intent; that said, national and regionalmeasures might be a good stepping-stone to wider internationalcooperation.• Efficient reporting structure and effective information exchange:(a) Coordinated information exchange, such as harmonized andaccessible databases and intelligence-sharing agreements, must exist.(b) Data sharing should be facilitated by cooperative arrangementswith relevant national and international parties and international standardsbodies. (c) Clear national and international management structuresare needed to ensure that everybody knows what they should bedoing. (d) Clear national contact points should also exist so that everyonecan check that everybody else knows what they are doing.• Commodity labeling and audited chain-of-custody arrangements:(a) Chain-of-custody and labeling arrangements are the core of anytracking regime. Commodities must be accompanied by informationthat allows them to be clearly distinguished and identified in the internationalmarketplace. (b) Labeling requirements, if not strictly executed,simply serve to launder illicit material; credible audit proceduresor third-party certification provide confidence that only compliantproducts gain access to restricted markets and that internal procedurescan be trusted.