Since Rio 1992, governments have been making efforts to integrate environmental, economic and social objectives into decision-making by either elaborating new policies and strategies for sustainable development, or modifying or adapting existing policies and plans. The Global Map attempts to capture the general status of development / implementation of national sustainable development strategies based on information in the 2002 Country Profiles and in the National Assessment Reports prepared for the World Summit for Sustainable Development in 2002. The purpose of the map is not to single out countries that have not initiated or completed the process of developing a national sustainable development strategy, but rather to encourage those countries that have not yet completed the process, to proceed in their efforts to meet the goal of 2005. In order to properly track broad progress in the area of NSDS development and implementation, the Division for Sustainable Development intends to issue, on an annual basis until 2006, an updated version of the map for distribution at the spring session of the CSD.

The Global Map on the Status of NSDS:
 - 2002
 - 2003 (updated in July 2004)   Click here for the 2003 Assessment Report  

The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or any area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

*Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.