Ten years after it was first established, a Vatican commission on clerical sexual abuse issued its first report on Tuesday, a limited step in self-accounting by some bishops that was immediately criticized by victims’ advocates as being toothless and lacking independent verification.

Since the clerical abuse scandal erupted into the mainstream media two decades ago, the church has struggled to put in place effective measures around the world to end abuse and hold the church hierarchy accountable when it was involved in covering up cases.

The Vatican group, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, was formed in 2014 to advise Pope Francis on how best to protect minors and vulnerable adults from sexual predators among the clergy. Last year, Francis also tasked the commission with verifying that countries were following a new church law that set out rules for reporting and combating clerical sexual abuse.

The report issued Tuesday was the first time the Vatican had made public the results of its efforts to improve safeguarding policies and procedures.

The commission found that some of the countries demonstrated “a clear commitment to safeguarding.” Others lagged behind, in some cases showing “a troubling” lack of support for victims of abuse. It also called for better disciplinary measures as well as economic compensation for survivors.

At a news conference at the Vatican on Tuesday, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the president of the commission, described the report as a “snapshot of the journey of conversion that we have been on” toward “a transparent and accountable ministry.” But there is still “much to be done,” he said. In some cases, only a few of a country’s dioceses participated.