AMR PREPARATIONS
The AMR is not limited to the two-day annual event but is, rather, a process including the preparation spanning many months before the session and the follow-up afterwards.
The strong engagement of Member States , the UN system, other major institutional stakeholders, as well as non-governmental organizations and the private sector was a key factor of success for the 2007 AMR. Several AMR preparatory events were organized to stimulate dialogue and engagement around the Review.
The series of preparatory events started with an e-Discussion on 鈥淎chieving Sustainable Development鈥 jointly organized by the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and UNDP. The discussion ran from 4 February to 14 March 2008.
A half-day AMR global preparatory meeting, was held at UN Headquarters in New York on 6 March 2008. The meeting had a twofold focus. A first panel examined how the AMR can deliver on implementation. A second panel explored the role of ECOSOC in achieving sustainable development.
In addition, national consultative meetings in countries giving national voluntary presentations were held. Eight countries have volunteered to make national presentations in 2008. These countries are Belgium, Chile, Finland, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the United Kingdom, and the United Republic of Tanzania.
On 4 April 2008, NGOs held an ECOSOC NGO Forum on 鈥淭he Role of Civil Society in Promoting Sustainable Development and the New International Aid Architecture鈥 to get ready for the 2008 AMR and DCF.
On 1-2 June 2008, the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted a regional meeting on the theme "Sustainable Urbanization" that was organized by UNDESA.