Links to UN bodies

Links to site map

Links to the Bureau Page of Specific CSD Sessions

1st Implementation Cycle - Review Session
14-30 Apr 2004
New York

CSD-12

Fourth Bureau Meeting
23 Jan 2004
New Yorkk
Note of the Meeting

  1. The fourth meeting of the Bureau of the twelfth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) took place in New York on 23 January 2004. Minister Brende (Norway), Chairperson of CSD-12, chaired the meeting. The following Vice-Chairs attended the meeting: Ambassador Bruno Stagno (Costa Rica); Mr. Toru Shimuzu (Japan); Mr. Bolus Paul Zom Lolo (Nigeria); and Ms. Eva Tomic (Slovenia). The meeting was also attended by the Director of the Division for Sustainable Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DSD/DESA), staff from DSD/DESA and officials from the Norwegian Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs.

Activities of the Bureau since its third meeting

  1. Minister Brende shared with the Bureau his recent activities as Chairperson of CSD-12. He noted that ministers from both developed and developing countries had expressed strong support for the CSD. Such support came from not only ministers of environment but also ministers responsible for other portfolios, including development co-operation. The broad interest in, and support of, CSD would contribute to a dynamic and integrated discussion at CSD-12.
  2. Minister Brende invited Bureau members to share information on their respective contacts with their regional groups, including their participation in the recent regional implementation meetings [1]. In reviewing the ECA and ECE regional meetings , the relevant Bureau members informed that both meetings had been very successful, with broad participation from Governments and Major Groups. The outcomes of the meetings are being forwarded to the Secretariat for official submission to CSD-12. The Bureau expressed its appreciation that the regional meetings had been convened and agreed that the in-depth review at the regional meetings would enrich the interactive discussions at CSD-12.s

Organization of work for CSD-12

  1. Minister Brende introduced his note and annotations on the organization of work for CSD-12 and invited Bureau members to comment. Members responded by relating the results of their discussions with their respective groups on the organization of work since the last Bureau meeting. The Bureau discussed a range of queries from delegates communicated through Bureau members. It was decided to circulate the Chairperson’s note and annotations at the briefing scheduled for 2nd Committee delegates. The note and annotations provided detailed information on the day-to-day organization of work at CSD-12, including the High-level Segment.
  2. The Bureau agreed that briefings by the Chairperson, other Bureau members and the Secretariat provided a useful channel for communicating with delegates on the preparations for CSD-12 Bureau members and the Secretariat stand ready to provide further region-by-region briefings on CSD-12. No open-ended preparatory meeting would be held. The Bureau reaffirmed that CSD-12 would be a review session focusing on the implementation of goals, targets and commitments of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and would not conduct any negations in this regard.
  3. The Bureau further clarified that the Chairperson’s summary of the officials’ segment of CSD-12 to be distributed in the afternoon of 27April would capture the highlights of statements and interactive discussions, including case studies and lessons learned, as well as activities of the Partnership Fair and Learning Center. But it would not be made up of detailed accounts of those activities; nor would it be open for negotiations.

Preparations for the SIDS preparatory meeting during CSD-12

  1. The Secretariat provided an update to the Bureau on current preparations for the three-day preparatory meeting on SIDS, noting that the SIDS inter-regional preparatory meeting would take place in the coming week. The Bureau reaffirmed its commitment to a successful preparatory meeting that would be convened as part of CSD-12 and pointed out that the Bureau for CSD-12 would play the leadership role in guiding the three-day preparatory meeting and bringing the meeting to a fruitful conclusion.
  2. In this connection, the Bureau agreed that the specific modality and organization of work at the three-day preparatory meeting would be finalized in the next week or so, taking into account the outcome of the SIDS inter-regional meeting.

Major Groups Involvement

  1. The Secretariat reported to the Bureau on the preparations for Major Group involvement and participation at CSD-12. The Bureau noted with satisfaction the documents and other inputs submitted by Major Groups and encouraged them to make available their dialogue papers in time for official translation.
  2. The Bureau also took note of the informal consultation underway on the status of WSSD-accredited NGOs and other Major Groups and expressed the hope that a satisfactory solution to the issue could be reached as soon as possible to allow full participation of those groups in the work of CSD-12.

Updates on planning for Learning Center, Partnership Fair, Side-events and informal roundtable discussions

  1. The Secretariat reported to the Bureau on the current status of planning for the Learning Center, Partnership Fair, Side Events and informal roundtable discussions. As indicated at the last Bureau meeting, there has been great interest in Learning Center activities, and the Secretariat is in the process of finalizing arrangements and course schedules with collaborating organizations to ensure that a balanced, well structured, coordinated and stimulating programme is presented at CSD-12.

Current status of documentation

  1. The Secretariat briefed the Bureau on the current status of documentation for CSD-12 and informed the Bureau that the SG reports were in the stage of internal clearance. The internal deadline for submission for processing of the documents is the first week of February. In order to meet the request of delegations and following established practice, the Secretariat would post on its website advance unedited versions of these documents.

Next meeting of the Bureau

  1. The next meeting will be held in New York on 19 March 2004 [2].
  2. The Bureau agreed that at its March meeting in New York, it would organize a briefing with delegates; the Bureau also decided to meet with representatives of Major Groups on that occasion.

1/ ESCWA, ESCAP, and ECLAC RIMs were reviewed at the last Bureau meeting.

2/ In light of discussions at the briefing held on 23 January 2004, the date of the next Bureau meeting will be confirmed shortly.