A review of significant international sustainable development organisations

The International Institute for Sustainable Development - provides a Linkages Information Server and the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, which aims to provide balanced, objective and informative summaries of environment and development negotiations. The IISD sends reports to subscribers and hopes that its service:

• creates a level information playing-field at meetings;
• demonstrates the partnerships between governments and NGOs in facilitating negotiations;
• contributes to transparency in international negotiations;
• disseminates information on the activities of governments, NGOs and the United Nations at international meetings;
• provides real-time information to environment and development decision makers using the new and emerging information technologies;
• contributes to the academic body of knowledge about these meetings;
• provides useful information to policy makers and those interested in contributing to the policy development process; and
• maintains an information flow to policy makers on the activities of other parallel negotiating processes.

UN Commission on Sustainable Development - in 1992, more than 100 heads of state met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The Earth Summit was convened to address urgent problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development. The assembled leaders signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity; endorsed the Rio Declaration and the Forest Principles; and adopted Agenda 21, a 300-page plan for achieving sustainable development in the 21st century. The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of UNCED; to monitor and report on implementation of the Earth Summit agreements at the local, national, regional and international levels. The CSD is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), with 53 members. It was agreed that a five-year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session.

The Commission on Sustainable Development claims to generate a high level of public interest and its web site provides a useful source of information on its activities. The site reveals that over 50 ministers attend the CSD each year and more than one thousand non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are accredited to participate in the Commission's work. The Commission ensures the high visibility of sustainable development issues within the UN system and helps to improve the UN's co-ordination of environment and development activities. The CSD also encourages governments and international organisations to host workshops and conferences on different environmental and cross-sectoral issues. The results of these expert-level meetings enhance the work of CSD and help the Commission to work better with national governments and various non-governmental partners in promoting sustainable development worldwide.

CSD Secretariat:

Secretariat of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development

United Nations Plaza, Room DC2-2220

New York, New York 10017, USA

Tel: + 1 212-963-3170

Fax: + 1-212-963-4260

E-mail: dsd@un.org

Agenda 21 - is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organisations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. It also operates as a web site that can be accessed directly or from the CSD site.

Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992.

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