MEAs can require that Parties monitor, report, and verify environmental compliance data. Reporting, monitoring, and verification measures can assist States in tracking their compliance under the respective MEAs. These requirements vary in formality and reporting methodologies. As technology has evolved, compliance-related information systems with computerised databases are increasingly used to collect, sort, and process this information (see, for example, the TIGERS database, described in a case study following Guideline 48(c)
). The advantages of using compliance-related information systems include increased transparency, ease of data analysis and verification, and increased efficiency, organisation, and prompt compilation of data.
Where limited resources mean that computerised databases are not available to track environmental data, other more traditional methods can be used.
The most important feature of reporting is that it requires Parties to MEAs to assess — in 
a transparent manner — the measures that they have taken to implement their commitments and consider the effectiveness of those measures. This helps the Parties, the MEA Conference of Parties (COP) and Secretariat, and other interested bodies to discern potential trends in compliance and enforcement, identify innovative approaches that might serve as models for other States, and allocate resources to improve compliance and enforcement.
Two reports by the United Nations examined national reporting under MEAs. In 2003, the Division for Sustainable Development of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) prepared a provisional matrix containing the UN national reporting provisions relating to issues of concern to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). In 2004, the UN Secretary-General submitted a report to the 12th session of the CSD that reviewed the improvements made in national reporting and highlighted further work to be undertaken on indicators of sustainable development. Together, these studies identify many common approaches and lessons learned, as well as some new innovations.
They noted that national reports are one of the main instruments by which MEA COPs fulfill their mandate to monitor and review activities undertaken by Governments to implement the treaties. The MEA Secretariat is usually the lead organisation for developing the report format, receiving and disseminating the reports, and generally administering the national reports, although other agencies are sometimes involved. For most MEAs, the national focal point prepares the national report. Usually, the national focal point (for MEAs) is the Ministry of Environment, but sometimes they are other ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, or Industry.