UNITED NATIONS
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Information Package for Major Groups
24 August 1995
Dear Friend,
This package includes the first Survey on the Role and Contribution of
Major Groups to Agenda 21 Follow-up and the Guidelines for Major Groups'
Inputs to CSD96. The Secretariat of the Commission on Sustainable
Development has prepared these materials to help increase the dialogue
between the major groups community and the Commission.
The information collected through the Survey will be the basis for the
Secretary-General's report on the Role and Contribution of Major Groups
(Agenda 21 chapters 23-32). Such a report is prepared annually for the
CSD's review. The information collected through the Survey will also be
shared with other UN Agencies and bodies which are preparing reports on
other chapters of Agenda 21, in cooperation with the CSD Secretariat,
for CSD96. The Guidelines provide basic information on how your
organization, as a major group entity, can be part of the CSD's work at
the local, national, regional and international levels. It is intended
as a companion piece to the Survey.
The CSD is the institutional follow up to the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED, 1992) and is charged to monitor
the implementation of UNCED decisions. The first CSD meeting, in 1993,
was an organizational meeting while the second and third sessions (in
1994 and 1995) were substantive reviews of groups of Agenda 21 chapters.
Reports of these meetings are available from the CSD Secretariat.
The CSD's annual reviews are based on analytic progress reports which in
turn depend on the information received from major groups, international
and regional inter-governmental organizations and Governments regarding
their efforts, experiences and recommendations related to the
implementation of Agenda 21. The quality and quantity of reports and
information received from these sources determine the accuracy and the
balance of the reports prepared for the CSD. Your responses to the
Survey and participation in the CSD process at any level feasible, is
therefore, of considerable importance.
The fourth session of the CSD is tentatively scheduled to take place
between 18 April -3 May 1996, in New York, at the United Nations
Headquarters. The specific sectoral focus of this session is on two
chapters: Protection of Oceans and All Kinds of Seas (chapter 17) and
Protection of the Atmosphere (chapter 9). A number of cross-sectoral
issues are also on the agenda. We look forward to a productive dialogue
and to receiving your inputs to the 1996 CSD process.
CSD Secretariat, Division for Sustainable Development
Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD)
2 United Nations Plaza, 22nd Floor, New York, NY, 10017, USA
GUIDELINES for MAJOR GROUPS INPUTS to CSD 1996
As a Major Group, you can contribute to the CSD process in one or more
of the following ways:
- submitting materials for the reporting process at the
international level.
- contributing to the preparation of the national information
- participating in or sponsoring inter-sessional activities
- participating in the CSD session in April 1996
This Guidelines package provides detailed information on the above.
For additional information, comments and inquiries regarding major group
participation in the work of the CSD, please contact the Major Groups
Focal Point of the CSD Secretariat at the following address:
Zehra Aydin, Major Groups Focal Point
Division for Sustainable Development, DPCSD
2 United Nations Plaza, 22nd Floor, New York, NY, 10017, USA
telephone: 212-963-8811; fax: 212-963-1267
e-mail: aydin@un.org
Internet: zehraa@igc.apc.org (Econet)
The Guidelines are also available on the Internet. To access, use your
Gopher utility to connect to gopher.undp.org and look under "Economic
and Social Council". CSD materials can also be found in Econet (connect
to igc.apc.org) under conference "un.csd.docs".
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INTERNATIONAL REPORTING PROCESS
The Commission's review of Agenda 21 is based on reports that outline the
efforts of Governments, inter-governmental organizations and the major
groups within a given sectoral or cross-sectoral issue.
1. TOPICS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA OF CSD96:
Agenda 21- Sectoral issues
Protection of the Atmosphere (Chapter 9)
Protection of the Oceans (Chapter 17)
Agenda 21- Cross-sectoral issues
Trade and Environment (Chapter 2)
Combating poverty (Chapter 3)
Changing Consumption Patterns (Chapter 4)
Demographic dynamics of sustainability (Chapter 5)
Integrating environment and development in decision making (Chapter 8)
Major groups (chapters 23 to 32)*
Finance (Chapter 33)
Transfer of environmentally sound technologies (chapter 34)
Promoting Education and Public Awareness (Chapter 36)
Capacity building in developing countries (Chapter 37)
International institutional arrangements (Chapter 38)
International legal instruments and mechanisms (Chapter 39)
Information for decision-making (Chapter 40)
*The Major Groups in Agenda 21 and relevant chapter numbers are: Women
(24); Children and Youth (25); Indigenous People (26); Non-Governmental
Organizations (27); Local Authorities (28); Workers and Trade Unions (29);
Business and Industry (30); Scientific and Technological Communities (31);
Farmers (32).
Review of SIDS follow-up
Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development
of Small Island Developing States and Sustainable Development (outcome of
the Barbados Conference, 1994). Specific focus areas include:
- sustainable development of coastal and marine resources in the context
of the cross-sectoral themes above;
- sustainable tourism;
- air transport;
- sea transport;
- natural and environmental disasters;
- energy resources;
- telecommunications; and
- donor activities in SIDS.
2. OUTLINE
The 1996 session will work with two sets of documents: (a) Reports of the
Secretary-General, and (b) an Addendum for each such report. The
Secretary-General's reports on each of the topics listed above will be
concise (up to 6 pages) and will contain:
- a brief updated assessment of the current state of the topic,
- the main relevant policy issues, and
- recommendations and proposals for action.
The Addenda will be more detailed containing information on the activities
carried out within a given topic, difficulties encountered and progress
achieved. The Addenda will also include sections on activities and
progress at the international and national levels (with sub-sections on
various groups of countries including Small Island Developing States) and
by major groups. In addition, the Addenda will include sections dealing
with issues related to means of implementation such as finance, technology
and capacity building.
GENERAL OUTLINE for the Addenda (applicable to all topics on CSD96 agenda)
I. Introduction
II. General Overview of progress achieved, main policy issues,
experience gained and problems encountered in the programme areas of
the chapter of Agenda 21 under consideration
III. Country experiences providing an analysis of the main achievements
and trends in national implementation activities. The section will
include the following sub-headings:
A. Developed countries
B. Developing countries
C. Small Island Developing States
D. Countries with economies in transition
IV. Experiences of Major Groups- based on information provided by major
groups themselves, including those that are collected through the
Survey, and relevant information that is available from
international organizations and Governments.
V. Matters related to finance, technology transfer and capacity
building
VI. Recent developments, activities and experiences in international
cooperation and plans for the future
A. Inter-governmental Processes
B. Organizations of the UN system
C. Organizations outside the UN system
VII. Other information and data if required
3. GUIDING ISSUES TO KEEP IN MIND
The CSD meeting in 1994 recommended that the inputs on the role and
contribution of major groups, from all sources, focus on the following
four dimensions:
- extent of involvement, particularly in terms of major group
participation in relevant project design, evaluation and implementation,
including the implementation of relevant international legal frameworks.
- innovative methods, that is, actions that are/were designed to increase,
support and enhance the quality and quantity of consultations with major
groups.
- financial and other resource allocations, including those by UN Agencies
and other international organizations.
- main difficulties and obstacles
These four guiding issues helped in the 1995 reporting process as cross-
cutting criteria to evaluate the Agenda 21 activities in the context of
the role and contribution of major groups. The 1996 reporting process will
continue making use of the same.
4. LENGTH OF INPUTS
Short and to-the-point inputs are better and more preferable. The CSD
Secretariat encourages inputs that are about 5 pages or less. Each brief
inputs should cover the following points as much as possible:
- Specific project or action taken for Agenda 21 in the 1995-1996
period
- Outcomes (positive or negative) of this action or project
- Lessons learned from this action or project
- Recommendations that can be derived from the lessons
As far as possible, inputs should include tangible data such as
statistical figures or other indicators. As a rule, the more tangible the
information is the more useful it will be in the overall review process at
the CSD. It is fundamentally important that inputs are about actions your
organization has taken for Agenda 21 implementation and monitoring, and
that they are relevant to the issues on CSD96 agenda.
5. LANGUAGE AND FORMAT OF INPUTS
The working language of the CSD Secretariat is English and reports
submitted in this language increase the efficiency of the overall process.
The Secretariat would appreciate receiving Major Groups' inputs in the
English language.
When possible, please submit diskette copies of your inputs along with the
printed copies. This will help the Secretariat process the information
more efficiently. Those major groups who have access to electronic
communication methods are encouraged to send their inputs by E-mail.
6. ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORTING PROCESS
A number of Task Managers lead the preparation of the CSD reports. Task
Managers are UN bodies, often a specialized agency of the UN family. They
are assigned Task Manager roles on the basis of their expertise in a given
area of Agenda 21. The assignments and the overall coordination of the
Task Managers system is handled by the Inter-Agency Committee on
Sustainable Development (IACSD) which meets at least twice a year.
A list of Task Managers and Contact persons is below.
--Agenda 21--
Chapter 2: Trade and Environment
Task Manager: UNCTAD
Contact: Mr. John Cuddy, tel.: 41-22-907-5747 , fax: 41-22-907-0042
Chapter 3: Combating Poverty and Chapter 4: Changing Consumption Patterns
Task Manager: DPCSD
Contact: Mr. Ken Ruffing, tel: 212-963-4669, fax: 212-963-4269,
ruffing@un.org
Chapter 5: Demographic Dynamics
Task Manager: UNFPA
Contact: Mr. A. Jorgensen-Dahl, tel.: 212-297-5231, fax: 212-297-4915
(Chapters 8, 38, 39, 40) Cluster on Decision Making Structures
Task Manager: DPCSD
Contact: Ms. Mary Pat Silveira, tel.: 212- 963-8428, fax: 212-963-1267,
silveira@un.org
Chapter 9: Atmosphere
Task Manager: UNEP
Contact: Mr. Jorge Illueca, tel.: 254-2-621-234, fax: 254-2-226-890
Chapter 17: Oceans and all kinds of Seas
Task Manager: ACC Subcommittee on Oceans
Contact: Mr. G. Kullenberg at UNESCO/IOC, tel: 331-4568-4046, fax: 331-
4065-9535
(Chapters 23-32) Cluster on Major Groups
Task Manager: DPCSD
Contact: Ms. Zehra Aydin, tel.: 212-963-8811, fax: 212-963-1267,
aydin@un.org
Chapter 33: Finance
Task Manager: DPCSD
Contact: Mr. Juergen Holst, tel.: 212-963-4677, fax: 212-963-4260,
holst@un.org
Chapter 34: Environmentally Sound Technology Transfer
Task Manager: DPCSD
Contact: Mr. Dirk Pilari, tel.: 212-963-6757, fax: 212-963-1267,
pilari@un.org
Chapter 36: Education
Task Manager: UNESCO
Contact: Ms. H. Morita-Lou, tel.: 212-963-8813, fax: 212-963-1267,
morita-lou@un.org
Chapter 37: Capacity Building
Task Manager: UNDP
Contact: Ms. Karen Jorgensen, tel: 212-906-5008, fax: 212-906-6973
--SIDS Programme of Action--
Coastal and Marine Resources
Task Manager: UNEP
Contact: Mr. Makram Gerges (tentative), tel: 254-2-662-015; fax: 254-2-
622-788
Sustainable Tourism
Task Managers: UNEP and DPCSD
Contact: Mr. Deo Oodit, tel: 212-963-4671; fax: 212-963-4260
Air Transport
Task Manger: ICAO
Contact: Mr. Edmund Faller, tel: 514-286-6371; fax: 514-288-4772
Sea Transport
Task Manager: UNCTAD and IMO
Contact In UNCTAD: Mr. Rainer Vogal, tel: 41-22-907-1234, fax: 41-22-907-
0057
Contact in IMO: Mr. O. H. J. Dijxhoorn, tel: 44-171-587-3210; fax: 44-171-
735-7611
Natural and Environmental Disasters in SIDS
Task Managers: UNDHA and WMO
Contact in UNDHA: Mr. Olavia Elo, tel: 41-22-733-8695; fax: 41-22-798-5850
Contact in WMO: Mr. Robert Landis, tel: 41-22-730-8111, fax: 41-22-734-
2326
Energy Resources for SIDS
Task Manager: DPCSD
Contact: Mr. Charles Constantinou, tel: 212-963-4515, fax: 212-963-1795
Telecommunications for SIDS
Task Manager: ITU
Contact: MR. Joseph Elotu, tel: 41-22-730-5111, fax: 41-22-730-5484
Donor Activities in SIDS
Task Manager: DPCSD
Contact: Mr. Deo Oodit (see above)
7. WHICH MAJOR GROUPS CAN SUBMIT INPUTS?
All major groups can make inputs to the CSD. The CSD Secretariat
encourages the widest possible contribution from all NGOs and major groups
in order to assess what has been achieved and where there are problems or
bottlenecks. Thus, the reporting process is open for the contributions of
all major groups who are active and committed to achieving environmental
sustainability.
8. DEADLINES FOR SUBMITTING INPUTS
31 OCTOBER 1995. Inputs received after this date will be increasingly
difficult to incorporate into the CSD reports.
9. RETURN ADDRESS FOR INPUTS
All inputs from major groups, including the completed survey that is
included with these guidelines, should be sent to the CSD Secretariat's
focal point for major groups. Contact information for the Major Groups
Focal Point is on page 2.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATIONAL INFORMATION PREPARATION PROCESS
Agenda 21 places great emphasis on local/national implementation of its
activities. The Commission on Sustainable Development has maintained this
emphasis in its decisions on exchange of information.
National information is gathered through the National Information
Guidelines for Governments. These guidelines, prepared by the CSD
Secretariat every year, cover all of the sectoral and cross-sectoral
issues that are before the Commission in a given session. The National
Guidelines follow a simple "questionnaire" format to enable more efficient
responses. The National Guidelines also include a section with questions
regarding the general role and contribution of major groups to the
national sustainable development efforts during the year. (For more
information on the National Information Guidelines, contact the National
Information Analysis Branch of the CSD Secretariat, at tel: 212-963-8814,
fax: 212-963-1267, e-mail: hyttinen@un.org)
Preparation of national information for the CSD is coordinated by the
national institutions including the National Sustainable Development
Commissions where they have been established. Major groups can contribute
to the processes these institutions have established. Major Groups can
also organize national processes that bring together national Governmental
and non-governmental representatives to share experiences and identify
priority issues. Such consultative processes appear to produce excellent
results where they have been utilized.
Major groups who have taken part in the preparation of the national
information are welcome to share their inputs directly with the CSD
Secretariat as well.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INTER-SESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
The time period between the annual meetings of the Commission on
Sustainable Development make up the inter-sessional period. The annual
meetings of the CSD are, in effect, the culmination of the implementation
and monitoring activities carried out throughout the year on the basis of
the Commission's thematic programme of work. Thus, participating in and
organizing inter-sessional events is an important way to contribute to the
CSD's annual review of progress in Agenda 21 implementation.
The inter-sessional period is often characterized by a number of meetings
organized/sponsored by Governments and international organizations. The
events range from small work-shops and seminars to regional or
international symposia or other meetings where participants share
knowledge and experiences, and consider various options to reduce
remaining obstacles.
There are multiple ways to contribute to the on-going inter-sessional
work. Among these are:
(i) organizing events at the local, national or regional levels on the
annual themes during the inter-sessional period,
(ii) linking your on-going activities with the annual themes,
(iii) participating in the inter-sessional activities organized by others
such as Governments and international organizations.
In such inter-sessional efforts, a particularly effective approach is to
emphasize meetings that bring together representatives from non-
governmental, governmental and inter-governmental institutions. This
approach contributes to the overall need to build consensus around Agenda
21 themes and objectives.
Two particular inter-sessional events are the CSD's Ad Hoc Inter-sessional
Working Group meetings. The Ad Hoc Working Groups for the 1996 session are
tentatively scheduled as follows:
26 February - 1 March 1996
--- Working Group on Finance and Changing Consumption Patterns
4-8 March 1996
--- Working Group on the Sectoral Issues (Atmosphere and Oceans)
These Working Groups are mandated to make tangible suggestions which the
Commission's annual meeting considers in deciding the future priorities
and follow up activities for the themes.
The Working Group meetings are open for participation of major groups that
are in formal status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Formal
status is required to receive passes that allow representatives of major
groups organizations to enter the United Nations Headquarters grounds. For
more detail, please see the information box below on this page.
CONTRIBUTIONS BY PARTICIPATING IN THE FOURTH CSD SESSION
The fourth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development is
tentatively scheduled to start on 18 April and conclude on 3 May 1996. The
meeting will take place in New York, at the United Nations Headquarters.
Updated information on the CSD's fourth session and the on-going
preparations for it are regularly available from the CSD Secretariat's
bi-monthly newsletter, the CSD Update.
_______________________________________________________________________
Major Groups who are in formal status and plan to participate in the
Fourth Session of the CSD should inform the NGO Section of the Department
for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD) of their
intention to be present at the meetings at least 2 weeks in advance of the
starting date of the session.
The NGO Section can be contacted by mail and fax as follows:
NGO Section , DPCSD
One United Nations Plaza, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10017, USA.
Fax: 212-963-3892
Accredited major groups should send a letter to the NGO Section on their
organization's letter-head and should indicate the names of all the
individuals who will represent the organization at the meeting they wish
to participate. Organizations who do not have formal status with the
ECOSOC can request application information from the NGO Section.
Prospective applicants for formal status should be advised that
application procedures are lengthy and applications made at this time will
not be processed before the fourth session of the CSD.
_______________________________________________________________________
Major group participation in the CSD has been an increasingly lively
process. During the last session of the CSD in 1995, there were dozens of
special events organized by major groups. Many of these were organized
jointly by two or more major groups. Some also involved collaboration of
major groups and UN Agencies or Governments.
Major Groups activities during the CSD sessions are wide-ranging. They can
include presentations on specific issues of Agenda 21, statements during
the Commission's deliberations, lobbying National delegations for specific
decision making topics, and dialogue with all other participants to
increase collaborative networking capacities.
The CSD Secretariat facilitates these efforts, with help from such
organizations and networks as the CSD NGO Steering Committee and the UN
Non-governmental Liaison Services (UN-NGLS). The Secretariat is at times
directly involved in helping organize some of the events. For example, in
the 1995 session, the CSD Secretariat worked closely with the
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) as well
as UN Agencies and other major groups to organize the Day of Local
Authorities. This Day included a special panel discussion with municipal
leaders from around the world, launching of 14 case studies on Local
Agenda 21 initiatives and an exhibition on local responses to Agenda 21
objectives.
Currently, the CSD Secretariat is working with major group and UN Agency
partners to prepare for two special panels involving major groups for the
CSD in 1996. One of these panels will be the culmination of the Day of the
Workplace events involving the roles and contributions of two major
groups, namely 'business and industry' and 'workers and trade unions'. A
second panel will focus on the role of Youth and a Youth assessment of
progress in Agenda 21 implementation. Both of these panels are tentatively
scheduled to take place during the last week of CSD96.
Major groups that are planning to participate in the CSD's fourth session
and interesting in organizing a special event should inform any of the
following facilitating organizations as soon as possible:
The CSD Secretariat
Zehra Aydin, Major Group Focal Point
(contact information on page 2)
The CSD NGO Steering Committee
Esmeralda Brown, Co-Chair
777 UN Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: 212-682-3633 Fax: 212-682-5354
Michael McCoy, Co-Chair
75 Spring Street, Suite 402, New York, NY 10012, USA
Tel: 212-431-3922 Fax: 212-431-4427
UN Non-Governmental Liaison Services (NGLS)
Joslyn Barnes
866 UN Plaza, Room 6015, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: 212-963-3125 Fax: 212-963-8712
ENDING NOTES
This Guidelines package and the Survey have been sent by mail to over 1000
NGOs and major groups, half of which are not in formal status with the UN
but are active in Agenda 21 follow up. The Guidelines and the Survey are
also available electronically on the Internet (see page 2). Both the CSD-
NGO Steering Committee (see page 10), and the UNGLS (see page 10) have
generously agreed to assist with their dissemination as well.
Furthermore, various international and regional NGO Networks will be
distributing copies of the Guidelines and the Survey among their network
members. The CSD Secretariat encourages all recipients of the Guidelines
and the Survey to further distribute the package through their networks
and partner organizations. No permission is required. However, we would
appreciate a note on describing such further dissemination efforts.
Comments, suggestions, and reactions to the Guidelines and the Survey are
encouraged and welcome.
THANK YOU!
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