16 Compendium: High Level Review of United Nations Sanctions the implementation and effectiveness of the sanctions, to address the concerns of the committee or to discuss expert group reports. Committee Chairs are conducting more field visits (at the invitation of Member States and where security conditions allow) to gain a more immediate understanding of the situation, demonstrate transparency and the collaborative (and not punitive) nature of the sanctions to the host country, and also to establish contacts on the ground which can help to solve problems faced by the committee. Committees are also improving their accountability to the broader UN Membership, which also has a stake in the Council’s administration of the sanctions that they are obliged to implement. The number of sanctions committees reporting to the Council in public has increased: prior to May 2014 there were only three (the 1267 committee related to Al Qaida, the 1737 committee related to the Iranian nuclear programme and the 1970 committee related to Libya); since then, four more have begun to report in public (the 1572 committee on Côte d’Ivoire, the 2127 committee on the Central African Republic, the 2140 committee on Yemen, and the 2206 committee on South Sudan). More are expected to follow this trend. Similarly, sanctions committees are increasingly issuing press releases related to committee activities (as distinct from press releases notifying updates to sanctions lists, committee guidelines or implementation assistance notices). 1. All sanctions committees should present their reports to the Council during a public session. Briefings not only allow Member States to be kept informed of developments related to sanctions, but also serve to mobilise relevant agencies in Member States to better understand implementation requirements and become more involved in the work of the committees, by virtue of the reports of the briefings sent by New York-based Permanent Missions to capitals. 2. Chairs of sanctions committees with similar themes (nonproliferation, counter-terrorism) or geographical scope (West Africa, Horn of Africa) should organise regular joint meetings (including in the regions) to promote understanding of similar issues and challenges. Similarly, the Secretariat should organise targeted meetings with New York-based regional groups on challenges to sanctions implementation and possible assistance. 3. The Secretariat, in consultation with the Council, should conduct a general public education campaign to promote greater understanding and awareness of UN sanctions, including the publication of guidance on the nature of sanctions, their purpose, objectives, and the roles of different actors.