Volume 1, Issue 3 - March 2013
This issue:
Share your Sustainable Development in Action story with us at dsd@un.org, for consideration of upcoming Newsletter issues. Deadline for next issue: February 15, 2013.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, was an action-oriented conference focusing on implementation of sustainable development.
This newsletter aims to highlight the work carried out by Member States, United Nations system, Major Groups and other relevant stakeholders in implementing sustainable development and leading the way to the Future We Want.
Website for Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States
,
In support of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, to take place in Apia, Samoa, in 2014, a dedicated Conference website has been launched by the Conference Secretariat. .
Small island developing states (SIDS) have unique vulnerabilities and face severe and complex challenges in the pursuit of sustainable development. One of the key objectives of the conference will be to seek a renewed political commitment from the international community to address these special needs.
Call for Partnerships and Actions for Small Island Developing States
Leaders of Small Island Developing States have stated clearly the aim to make partnerships a
cornerstone of the 2014 SIDS Conference, calling for the
“
strengthening of collaborative partnerships between SIDS and the international community”
as one of the important ways and means to address new and emerging challenges and opportunities for the
sustainable development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The Secretariat of the Conference is pleased to introduce the "SIDS in Action" registry, and invites all stakeholders to register their current or proposed partnerships and voluntary commitments for the advancement of Small Island Developing States and the 2014 Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States.
Major groups present Position Paper on high-level political forum
On Friday 22 February, representatives from the Major Groups met with the co-facilitators of the ongoing negotiations on the high-level political forum for sustainable development (HLPF). The Major Groups, nine groups representing a broad range of people and sectors of society and the main channel through which citizens can participate in efforts to achieve sustainable development through the United Nations, presented their working paper on the high level political forum to the co-facilitators.
The paper outlines the Major Groups' collective vision regarding the institutional format of the forum. It highlights that the forum should build upon the successes of the Commission on Sustainable Development, particularly in regards to access, participation and engagement by civil society organizations
Major Groups workspaces for Rio+20 - Now available
Workspaces provide avenues for registered Major Groups organizations to develop common positions on various sustainable development issues.
How can I contribute?
Any Major Group organization may request an account to this website and contribute to these workspaces.
Major Groups sectors
Agenda 21 recognized nine sectors of society as the main channels through which citizens could organize and participate in international efforts to achieve sustainable development through the United Nations. These nine sectors are officially known as "major groups".
Once signed in to your account, please access My Organizational Profile and select which major group your organization identifies most with. This will help to channel your contributions to the right sector.
Major Groups workspaces now available:
More information
Co-facilitators for Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals appointed
The President of the General Assembly has appointed the Permanent Representatives of
Hungary and Kenya as co-facilitators to prepare for the first meeting of the Open Working Group (OWG)
on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initially,
they will facilitate consultations on the group's leadership, agenda,
and program of work and methods. The first meeting of the OWG is currently expected to take place in
mid-March 2013 (
letter of appointment).
Google+ Hangout outlines Rio+20 successes and follow-up
On 12 February, the first in a series of Google+ Hangouts was hosted by DESA's Division for
Sustainable Development, outlining key outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference and the actions taken to realize
promises made. "
The message of inclusion, engagement, integration of decision-making, all that came out
very strongly from Rio," said Nikhil Seth, Director of DESA's Division for Sustainable Development,
underscoring the importance of engagement of people in the follow up process.
Further panelists at the Hangout were Elizabeth Thompson, Executive Coordinator for the Rio+20 conference; Kimo Goree, Vice-President of the International Institute for Sustainable Development Reporting Services (IISD); and Jacob Scherr, Director of global strategy and advocacy for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC.) After outlining their respective views on Rio+20, panelists responded to questions posted via social media. Watch the full on-demand video on UNDESA's youtube page.
The second "Sustainable Development in Action" Google+ Hangout will take place on Tuesday,
March 26th and will highlight civil society's and the Major Groups' perspective on Rio+20.
Further details will be announced closer to the time on the Sustainable Development in Action Facebook
page and Knowledge Platform, and via Twitter.
303 green economy initiatives registered since launch of Rio+20 database
Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication was one of the two themes for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20. A global database for green economy policies and initiatives was developed as an information resource in the lead up to Rio+20, and a total of 303 policies and initiatives in the field of Green economy by national, regional and local governments, international organizations and major groups organizations have been registered to date.
The database is open for further additions and more information about registering initiatives can be found on the
Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform here.
United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform
sustainabledevelopment.un.org