UN Economic and Social Development
Division for Sustainable Development

CSD-15

• CSD-15 Session Home
• Member States | CSD Participation
• Bureau | Message from the Chair | Bureau Meetings
• National Reporting

Informal Consultation of the CSD-15 Bureau
1 Oct 2006
Doha
Note of the Consultation

1. On 1 October, H.E. Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry, Qatar, and Chairman of CSD-15, chaired an informal consultation in Doha on preparations for CSD-15. Ambassador Frances Lisson, Vice-Chair (Australia ) attended the consultation. Due to logistical problems, Mr. Alain Edouard Traore, Vice-Chair (Burkina Faso) and Mr. Jirí Hlavácek, Vice-Chair (Czech Republic) were unable to attend. They sent written comments to Minister Al-Attiyah. Mr. Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, Vice-Chair (Brazil) was unable to attend due to a prior official commitment. Senior officials and advisors from the government of Qatar, as well as the Director of the Division for Sustainable Development (CSD Secretariat), and staff from the Secretariat, also attended the consultation.

Preparations for CSD-15 and its IPM

2. Minister Al-Attiyah welcomed Ambassador Lisson and CSD staff to Doha and outlined the discussions he had recently undertaken with member States and political groupings. He encouraged the Bureau to continue such consultations with regional and political groupings, as well as regional and international organizations, on expectations of CSD-15 and its IPM and emphasized the importance of working together to bridge potential gaps. Recent activities as well as upcoming meetings at the regional level, including an upcoming ESCWA meetin g in relation to CSD-15 thematic issues, were brought to the attention of participants.
3. Minister Al-Attiyah also shared the successful experience of Qatar in sustainable development. He highlighted Qatar’s progress in providing educational opportunitie s, in strengthening science and technology infrastructure, including through science parks, and in supporting the development of clean energy technologies.
4. At the invitation of Minister Al-Attiya, the Director of the CSD Secretariat briefed the meeting on the current status of preparations for CSD-15 and future plans. She reported that there had been numerous visits to the Chairman’s message on CSD-15 website, indicating strong interest in the Chairman’s vision and in preparations for CSD-15. Major Groups, including business and industry, had been actively preparing for CSD-15, submitting inputs to documentation for CSD-15 and launching various activities.
5. Preliminary proposals on the organization of work for CSD-15 and its IPM had been forwarded to the Bureau and there had been positive initial feedback from some Bureau members. The proposals were based on the Ministerial guidance of CSD-14, CSD-11 decisions on Policy Sessions and IPM, as well as the need for an integrated and balanced approach to the four thematic issues. Minister Al-Attiya requested Bureau members to consult with their respective regional groups in the coming 3 weeks and to forward proposals to the Secretariat for incorporation. Revised proposals for the organization of work for CSD-15 and its IPM would be submitted to the Bureau for consideration at its upcoming meeting.
6. With respect to the organization of work for CSD-15 and its IPM, Minister Al-Attiyah further underscored the importance of active involvement of decision-makers during the High-level Segment in order to help ensure concrete follow-up and implementation at the country level of policy options and possible actions adopted at CSD-15. He noted the importance of creating opportunities for Ministerial interactive discussions and of avoiding general speeches. He indicated that he would continue to mobilize political support and ministerial participation in CSD-15, including during his visits to countries and his attendance at international meetings and events. Also highlighted was the importance of formulating an effective communication strategy to publicize the work of CSD-15.
7. On thematic issues, Minister Al-Attiyah emphasized the need for linking water and energy in thematic discussions and will consider organizing Side Events during CSD-15 to share Qatar’s experience in this regard. Minister Al-Attiyah further stressed new Partnerships initiatives and the Matrix as non-official, non-negotiated complementary outcomes of CSD-15. Such outcomes would make meaningful contributions to consideration of policy options and possible actions and to the implementation process.
8. With regard to documentation for CSD-15, it was further noted that organizations of the UN system, including Regional Commissions, and Major Groups, had both been invited to contribute inputs. The Secretariat had already received inputs from UN agencies, international organizations and Major Groups.

Future Bureau meetings

9. Minister Al-Attiyah noted the importance of agreeing, in a timely manner, on the organization of work for CSD-15 and its IPM and requested the Secretariat to submit revised versions of the proposed organization of work for Bureau consideration at its upcoming meeting, tentatively set in mid-November. In this regard, he requested the Secretariat to consult the Bureau on their attendance at the Bureau meeting.