STATE-OF-THE-ART IN UFO DISCLOSURE WORLDWIDE

This paper, authored by Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos and dated September 15, 2011, provides a comprehensive overview of the state of UFO disclosure worldwide. The author defines 'UFO disclosure' as the revelation, declassification, or release of official governmental UFO reports to the public domain. The document emphasizes that the relationship between governments and the UFO phenomenon is complex, characterized by varying administrative procedures, internal bureaucracies, and differing levels of transparency. The United States is identified as the most significant actor in this history, having generated a massive volume of material and established standards that many other nations have mirrored. The author notes that the release of documents is frequently linked to external pressure from media and UFO organizations rather than routine declassification. The paper includes a detailed 'Worldwide UFO Disclosure Template' that tracks specific release events by country, covering the United States, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, France, Spain, Italy, Uruguay, Russia, the United Kingdom, Chile, Norway, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, the Philippines, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Ireland, Rumania, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Indonesia, and Japan. The author highlights that while Europe and Australasia have demonstrated high levels of professionalism in their disclosure processes, Central and South American countries have generally struggled with systematic development. The author also addresses the ongoing challenges of disclosure, such as the withholding of information by intelligence agencies like the CIA and NSA, the potential destruction or loss of records, and the skepticism surrounding the impact of administrative transparency laws. The paper concludes with a recommendation for UFO researchers to formally contact their respective defense staffs to argue that UFO phenomena do not represent a threat to national security, that investigation should be scientific, and that withholding information is incompatible with democratic policy. The author asserts that the history of interaction between Departments of Defense and the intelligence community regarding UFO reporting remains largely unwritten and calls for academic scholars to engage with this subject matter.