UN conference on CSD 19
The 19th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 19)
convened from 2-14 May 2011, at UN Headquarters in New York. Delegates
focused on the thematic cluster on transport, chemicals, waste
management, mining and the 10-Year Framework Programme (10YFP) on
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP).
The CSD meets annually in two-year "Implementation Cycles." Each cycle
focuses on one thematic cluster along with cross-sectoral issues and is
composed of a Review Year and a Policy Year. CSD 19 negotiated policy
recommendations based on CSD 18's review of the issues and the
development of a draft Chair's negotiating text during an Intergovernmental Preparatory
meeting, held from 28 Feb-4 March 2011. After
two weeks of intense negotiations on its thematic cluster of issues,
CSD-19 ended without a closing document –- the Chair’s proposed text was
not adopted since no consensus could be reached.
Analysis shows that the failure of CSD 19 to adopt a negotiated outcome
sowed doubts regarding the ability of governments to collectively and
effectively address crucial sustainable development issues. This analysis
will address some lessons emerging from CSD 19, and how they might
affect the status and role of CSD 19 in the wider context of preparations for
20th anniversary of the Rio (Rio+20) "Earth Summit will take place in
Brazil next year. As one delegate noted "What happened at CSD 19 might serve as a
wake-up call for those involved in the Rio+20 process."
About Rio 2012
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) will take place in Brazil in 2012, marking the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.
The core themes Rio2012 will focus on are a Green Economy and the institutional framework for sustainable development.
Rio
2012 is humanity’s chance to commit to a transition to a green economy, to lift
people out of poverty. We cannot wait another 20 years. The time to
commit is at Rio 2012,” said Sha Zukang, who is also the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.
The first preparatory meeting of the Conference on Sustainable Development saw lively debate and interactive exchanges between UN Member States, UN agencies and Major Groups on their understanding of what a “green economy” means in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
The objective of the 2012 Conference is “to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges”.
The UN is organizing the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2012 also in Rio, to Commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1992 conference called Rio + 20. The first meeting of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, took place at the UN Headquarters in New York from 17 – 19 May 2010.