How commitments are recorded
How public commitments are recorded
Short answer
- Parliamentary record
- Hansard and the written statements database in the UK 1
- Assurance tracking
- Committees on Government Assurances in India 2
- Voluntary pledges
- UN SDG Knowledge Platform 5
- Open government plans
- Open Government Partnership, founded 2011 6
Statements to parliament
In the UK, ministers make oral and written statements to Parliament 1. Written statements are published online shortly after Parliament receives them and are reproduced in the next Daily Report and in Hansard 1. The House of Commons started the written statement system in October 2002 and the House of Lords in January 2004 1.
In India, a promise or undertaking a minister gives on the floor of the House can become a formal assurance 2. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs monitors assurances, and committees of both Houses scrutinise how far ministries have implemented them 2.
Committees that follow up promises
India's Committees on Government Assurances date from 1953 in the Lok Sabha and 1972 in the Rajya Sabha 2. Kenya's National Assembly has a Committee on Implementation that scrutinises House resolutions, petitions and undertakings given by the National Executive 7. These committees publish reports to the House on what has and has not been done 2,7.
Treaty commitments and registries
The Paris Agreement requires each party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions 3. Article 4.12 says NDCs shall be recorded in a public registry maintained by the secretariat 3. The UNFCCC NDC Registry lists each document with its party, title, language, status and date 4.
A treaty registry differs from a voluntary platform. The NDC cycle is set in the treaty text, with a new NDC due every five years under Article 4.9 3.
Voluntary pledges and open government plans
UN conferences collect voluntary commitments from governments, NGOs, the private sector and others. The Ocean Commitments page on the UN SDG Knowledge Platform listed 2,666 entries when read in November 2026 5.
The Open Government Partnership was created in 2011 and says it includes more than 70 countries and 136 local governments 6. Its members record commitments in action plans 9. OGP's Independent Reporting Mechanism reviews each plan and later assesses how far its commitments were completed 9.
Company forecasts
Listed companies record forward-looking statements in filings and releases. In the US, 15 U.S.C. 78u-5 defines these to include projections of revenues or earnings and statements of management's plans and objectives 8. A statement identified as forward-looking and accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements falls within a safe harbor from private lawsuits 8.
| Type of commitment | Where it is recorded | Who follows it up |
|---|---|---|
| Written ministerial statement, UK 1 | Written statements database and Hansard 1 | Parliament 1 |
| Government assurance, India 2 | Proceedings of the House, monitored by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs 2 | Committees on Government Assurances 2 |
| Executive undertaking, Kenya 7 | Proceedings of the National Assembly 7 | Committee on Implementation 7 |
| Nationally determined contribution 3 | UNFCCC NDC Registry 4 | Parties under the Paris Agreement 3 |
| Ocean voluntary commitment 5 | UN SDG Knowledge Platform 5 | The entity that registered it 5 |
| OGP action plan commitment 9 | National or local action plan 9 | OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism 9 |
| Company forecast, US 8 | Company filings and statements 8 | Courts, in private actions 8 |
Common questions
Where are UK ministers' written statements kept?
On the UK Parliament written statements site and in Hansard 1.
What is a government assurance?
In India, a promise or undertaking a minister gives on the floor of the House that the government must follow up 2.
Where are Paris Agreement NDCs recorded?
In the public NDC Registry maintained by the UNFCCC secretariat 3,4.
How many countries are in the Open Government Partnership?
OGP says more than 70 countries and 136 local governments 6.
Are company forecasts commitments?
US law treats them as forward-looking statements, with a safe harbor if they carry meaningful cautionary statements 8.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@statementsofrecord.com.
Sources
- UK Parliament: Written ministerial statements
- Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs: Monitoring Assurances, Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
- UNFCCC: Paris Agreement (2015)
- UNFCCC: Nationally Determined Contributions Registry
- UN SDG Knowledge Platform: Ocean Commitments
- Open Government Partnership: About
- Parliament of Kenya: Committee on Implementation (12 February 2015)
- Legal Information Institute: 15 U.S. Code 78u-5, Application of safe harbor for forward-looking statements
- Open Government Partnership: Independent Reporting Mechanism
Related
- Government assurances committees explained
How committees in India, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Uganda record ministers' promises in the House, set deadlines, grant extensions and drop assurances.
- Written ministerial statements explained
How UK ministers put announcements on the parliamentary record in writing, where the statements are published and how the Australian Senate handles them.
- Nationally determined contributions: how they are recorded and revised
What the Paris Agreement says about NDCs, the five-year cycle, the public registry, adjusting a target and what happens when a party withdraws.
- UN voluntary commitments explained
How the UN records voluntary commitments from governments, NGOs and companies, what the Ocean Conference registry holds and what follow-up shows.
- Forward-looking statement rules for listed companies
The US safe harbor, UK issuer liability, EU and UK market abuse disclosure rules and Australian guidance on forecasts, with what each says about updates.
- Official commitment trackers compared
How India's OAMS, Kenya's and Ghana's committees, the NDC Registry, UN commitment platforms and OGP's reporting mechanism track delivery of promises.