For there to be an effective examination of patent applications, there is a duty of disclosure in various jurisdictions. This disclosure requirement makes the assessment of patentability easier and also acts as a good tool to understand honest conduct of an applicant during the prosecution stage.
WIPO CASE a boon for duty of disclosure, discussed by Swati Gupta in her article published on IBLJ, which can be viewed at https://www.vantageasia.com/