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In order to monitor progress towards national objectives and to report on that progress to the public, it will be necessary to establish a standardized approach to reporting. An agreement to use the previously noted IUCN system might ensure consistency in reporting on the amounts of land that have been afforded specific levels of protection. A standardized approach might also include an agreement on providing information on the status of candidate sites. Such standards would make it possible for the mining industry, other stakeholders and the public to have a better understanding of the status of the networks and of the additional protected areas needed to achieve objectives. Advances in information technology, including the capacity to store and transmit information and data over the electronic highway, offer new possibilities for reporting and providing access to information related to protected areas. In addition to allowing users to access statistical data and maps, information technology can facilitate reporting and access to large amounts of information that will result from research into ecosystems, wildlife and ecological integrity. Such a system of reporting and access to information would require a coordinated effort to collate and organize the information and make it accessible to stakeholders and the public.
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