Background 

Changing consumption and production patterns is one of the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development, as recognized by the Heads of State and Governments in the Johannesburg Declaration.    

The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation calls in Chapter III for the development of a 10-year framework of programmes in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production.・The framework should strengthen international cooperation and increase exchange of information and best practices to facilitate the implementation of national and regional programmes to promote sustainable consumption and production.   

The Marrakech Process was launched at the first international expert meeting on the 10-year framework held in Marrakech, Morocco, 16-19 June 2003, organized by DESA's  Division for Sustainable Development and UNEP. The Marrakech Process includes regular global and regional meetings, informal expert task forces and other activities to promote progress on the 10-year framework on sustainable consumption and production. UNEP and DESA's Division for Sustainable Development, have been identified as the leading agencies in promoting and developing the 10-year Framework of Programmes at the global and regional level. 

The CSD will consider the 10-Year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns as one of the themes in the 2010/2011 cycle of its multiyear programme of work.