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Monitoring The UN > The UN and Sustainable Development

Position of the Commission on Sustainable Development Within the UN

The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is a Functional Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The CSD reports to the Economic and Social Council and, through ECOSOC, to the United Nations General Assembly.

CSD Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference for the CSD are extremely broad, reflecting the across the board nature of sustainable development objectives. The first component of the CSD mandate is to provide effective and consistent follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, commonly referred to as the Earth Summit) held in Rio in June 1992. The second component of the CSD mandate is to facilitate and co-ordinate intergovernmental discussions and initiatives on sustainable development within the United Nations system. And thirdly, the Commission is charged with monitoring progress towards realizing the goals set forth in Agenda 21-the groundbreaking document on sustainable development declared at the Earth Summit-at the global, regional, national and local levels. The Commission meets formally once a year for roughly two weeks.

Members of the Commission are drawn from the United Nations General Assembly and are elected by ECOSOC for three years. Each year one third of the seats are up for election. As with ECOSOC, there are 53 members of the Commission on Sustainable Development. A fixed number of CSD seats are allocated to specifically designated regional blocs: Africa 13; Asia 11; Latin America and the Caribbean 10; Eastern Europe 6; and Western Europe and Other (the category to which Canada belongs) 13.

Subsidiary Bodies to the CSD
  • Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Groups-Sectoral Issues
  • Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group-Intersessional for UNGASS
Associated Bodies to the CSD
  • Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development
  • High Level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development
  • Department for Policy Co-ordination and Sustainable Development
Brief History of the CSD

One of the key recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio) was that a new body be created within the United Nations system in order to co-ordinate sustainable development studies, monitoring and policy making within the United Nations system. The Commission on Sustainable Development was called into being by Resolution 47/191 of the United Nations General Assembly at the 47th Session in 1992. Pursuant to that Resolution, a new Functional Commission under the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) became the principal body for implementing the recommendations contained in Agenda 21-the Action Programme declared at Rio.

The mandate of the CSD, as defined by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/191 is:

  • (a) To monitor progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and activities related to the integration of environmental and developmental goals throughout the United Nations system through analysis and evaluation of reports from all relevant organs, organizations, programmes and institutions of the United Nations system dealing with various issues of environment and development, including those related to finance;
  • (b) To consider information provided by Governments, for example, in the form of periodic communications or national reports regarding the activities they undertake to implement Agenda 21, the problems they face, such as problems related to financial resources and technology transfer, and other environment and development issues they find relevant;
  • (c) To review the progress in the implementation of the commitments set forth in Agenda 21, including those related to the provision of financial resources and transfer of technology;
  • (d) To review and monitor regularly progress towards the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product of developed countries for official development assistance; this review process should systematically combine the monitoring of the implementation of Agenda 21 with the review of financial resources available;
  • (e) To review on a regular basis the adequacy of funding and mechanisms, including efforts to reach the objectives agreed in chapter 33 of Agenda 21, including targets where applicable;
  • (f) To receive and analyze relevant input from competent non-governmental organizations, including the scientific and the private sector, in the context of the overall implementation of Agenda 21;
  • (g) To enhance the dialogue, within the framework of the United Nations, with non-governmental organizations and the independent sector, as well as other entities outside the United Nations system;
  • (h) To consider, where appropriate, information regarding the progress made in the implementation of environmental conventions, which could be made available by the relevant conferences of parties;
  • (i) To provide appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, on the basis of an integrated consideration of the reports and issues related to the implementation of Agenda 21;
  • (j) To consider, at an appropriate time, the results of the review to be conducted expeditiously by the Secretary-General of all recommendations of the Conference for capacity-building programmes, information networks, task forces and other mechanisms to support the integration of environment and development at regional and subregional levels.

To date, the Commission on Sustainable Development has formally met six times at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Past CSD Agendas

The agenda issues for the annual Commission on Sustainable Development sessions are identified at the Inter-Session Working Group level and approved at the plenary High-Level Segments of the CSD for five year intervals. Consideration of the CSD's five year work plans coincides with the mandated five year reviews of sustainable development progress at United National General Assembly Special Sessions.

There are three different types of CSD agenda issues. Every five years, one defining theme is selected by the Commission for consideration. All subsequent issues, either sector-specific (such as desertification or freshwater management) or cross-sectoral in nature (such as official development assistance or capacity-building) are to be addressed with the overriding theme in mind.

The first Commission on Sustainable Development session (CSD-1) was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from the 14th to the 25th of June, 1993. At this point, the overriding task or theme for the Commission was to put in place a framework to assess progress made towards implementing "Agenda 21" objectives in support of the five year review of UNCED, scheduled to take place in 1997. The sectoral and cross-sectoral issues represented by chapters in the "Agenda 21" document were broken down into CSD Sessional agendas. Though CSD-1 was described as the first substantive session of the Commission, the focus was largely organizational.

CSD-2 took place from the 16th to the 27th of May, 1994. On the cross-sectoral front, trade, environment and sustainable development; consumption patterns; major groups; financial resources and mechanisms; transfers of environmentally sound technologies, co-operation and capacity building; institutions; and legal instruments were discussed. Sectorally, health; human settlements; freshwater resources; toxic chemicals; hazardous wastes; solid wastes; and radioactive wastes appeared on the agenda. Organizationally the delegates agreed to establish ad hoc open-ended working group to examine sectoral issues.

CSD-3 ran from the 11th to the 28th of April, 1995. To address a growing sense of unease expressed by both officials and NGOs with the performance of the CSD process to that point, a new format was introduced. Panel discussions allowed participants to compare national experiences regarding sustainable development initiatives. This, in turn, led to a greater appreciation for requirements involved in implementing "Agenda 21" at the local level. The cross-sectoral issues on the agenda were: trade, environment and sustainable development; combating poverty; consumption patterns; demographic dynamics and sustainability; integrating environment and development in decision-making; major groups; financial resources and mechanisms; transfer of environmentally sound technologies, co-operation and capacity building; science for sustainable development; and information for decision-making. The sectoral issues under consideration were: an integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources; combating desertification and drought; combating deforestation; sustainable mountain development; promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development; and conservation of bio-diversity. CSD-3 also established the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests.

At CSD-4, the multi-year agenda identified at CSD-1-namely, the assessment of local, national and international progress made towards implementing "Agenda 21"-was completed. The general conclusion made at CSD-4 was that signatories to the Rio agreement had a long way to go to fulfill the promises they had made in 1992.

CDS-5 (April 8-25, 1997) was primarily concerned with the run up to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS). By the terms of the Rio Declaration in 1992, progress towards "Agenda 21" was to be formally reviewed after five years by the General Assembly. Unlike previous Sessions, CDS-5 began with the High-Level Segment where the Ministers or senior officials of member countries attended. After reports to the High-Level Segment by various Inter-Sessional and Ad Hoc Working Groups, attention turned to negotiating a draft text which would be endorsed by the Heads of National Governments at the upcoming UNGASS meeting.

In order to review progress made towards implementing "Agenda 21", the Nineteenth United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) was convened in New York from the 23rd to the 27th of June, 1997. The conference was attended by over fifty heads of state plus scores of responsible ministers and high-level officials. Participants in the review process, while encouraged by the priority of place afforded sustainable development issues on the agendas of national governments, recognized that very little substantive progress had been made towards realizing the goals set forward at Rio.

CSD-6 convened from the 20th of April to the 1st of May, 1997. In response to the harsh realities which were acknowledged at UNGASS concerning the slow pace of global progress towards sustainable development priorities, several changes were made to the structure and scope of future CSD agendas. Where as the broad theme which had dominated the first five years of CSD deliberations was to provide a comprehensive review of progress made towards implementing Agenda 21, the second five year theme-production and consumption patterns-was more action-oriented. Sectorally, CSD-6 focused on approaches to freshwater management and industry and reviewed progress made towards implementing the Programme of Action of the 1994 Barbados Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island States (SIDS). Cross-sectoral themes included technology transfers, capacity building, education and public awareness and science for sustainable development. The CSD also introduced a dialogue session on industry which brought together representatives of government, industry, trade unions and NGOs in a roundtable setting. This change in CSD format proved popular with participants and future CSD sessions will include or even expand on these dialogue sessions. CSD-6 also approved a new multi-year CSD agenda to take the Commission to the next United Nations General Assembly Special Session review of sustainable development progress in 2002.

Future CSD Agendas

CSD-7 1999: Oceans and Seas; Consumption and Production Patterns; Tourism; Comprehensive Review of Bardados Conference (SIDS) Action Programme.

CSD-8 2000: Land Resources; Financial Resources; Trade and Investment; Economic Growth; Agriculture; Day of Indigenous People

CSD-9 2001: Atmosphere; Energy Information for Decision-Making and Participation; International Co-operation for Enabling Environmental Energy; Transportation.

CSD-10 2002: Preparation for Comprehensive Review of Agenda 21 Implementation At United Nations General Assembly Special Session that year.

Canadian Government Participation at the CSD

Canada has been an active member of the CSD since the Commission's creation in 1992. Each year the Canadian delegation has presented detailed reports on a specific issue for CSD consideration. Past reports have included: "The Sustainable Management of Forests"; "Sustainable Transportation"; "Ensuring the Health of Oceans and Other Seas"; "Sustainable Development of Minerals and Metals"; and "Canadian Youth Perspectives on Sustainable Development". Each of these yearly documents reflect both Canadian sustainable development priorities and areas of national expertise. (Each of these monographs is available at: http://www.doe.ca/agenda21/98/splash.html)

Most recently, the Canadian team has taken on a leadership role in the areas of maritime and freshwater conservation. At CSD-6, the Canadian delegation presented a report entitled, "Canada and Freshwater: Experience and Practices" which proposed a strategic approach to the sustainable development of freshwater resources, particularly for the developing world, based on the Canadian experience. This report was accepted by the CSD as the blueprint document for future freshwater management discussions.

In the coming years the Canadian team will focus much of its attention on forest issues. At the Nineteenth United Nations General Assembly Special Session to review progress made towards implementing "Agenda 21" in 1997, an advisory body called the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) was created. The IFF was asked to look into whether or not conditions were favorable for the launching of negotiations to establish an international convention on forests. The IFF was directed to present its findings at CSD-8 in 2000. Canada has been, and can be expected to continue to press hard for a positive IFF answer to the UNGASS question and for the subsequent launching of full-scale international negotiations to establish a new international convention on forests.

Links:

The United Nations Sustainable Development web site is packed with valuable information and documents including CSD reports, bulletins and background pieces as well as the full text of UN Resolutions pertaining to sustainable development. See: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev

Agenda 21 Reports on National Information (information is cross referenced by both issue and country--108 countries reporting): http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo

For links to other United Nations bodies doing work in the sustainable development area see: http://www.un.org/esa/bodies.htm

For general news and background on sustainable development issues see: http://www.SustainableDevelopment.net

For a truly impressive gopher site on sustainable development by the International Institute for Sustainable Development in Winnipeg see: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages

The three Canadian government departments most concerned with sustainable development policy are the Department of the Environment, the Canadian International Development Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. For information on Canadian activities in the field of sustainable development see: http://www.doe.ca/envhome.html , http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca , http://dfait-maeci.gc.ca .