Commission On Sustainable Development Research Articles

Strengthening International Governance for Sustainable Development: Expectations for the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit

During the broad preparatory process for the Johannesburg World Summit there was hope that Johannesburg would become the starting point for establishing a more effective "international environmental governance". However, there is still controversial debate on how to achieve the aim of better governance. As the idea of establishing a Global Environment Organisation (GEO) with which the existing UNEP could merge can, at best be realised in the long run, UNEP should continue to play its leading role in the field of international environmental action. However, it will undoubtedly be unable to do so unless its internal structure and financial base are considerably strengthened. It was certainly a serious handicap that, until recently, the UNEP Governing Council has hampered effective ministerial participation and continuity in governance. Now it is supposed to share its governance role with the newly established Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF), functioning as an additional UNEP policy organ that is expected to provide broad overarching policy advice. The GMEF is determined to meet annually at ministerial level. But there is still controversial debate on the question whether the GMEF, as opposed to the Governing Council, is to be organised as a body with universal membership. In the author’s view, UNEP should continue to function as a non-plenary organ with clear-cut decision-making powers. It should meet at the ministerial level. Considering its broad range of tasks, it should function on a permanent basis in the future. And, finally, it should be assisted by a high-level intergovernmental body for providing broad overarching environmental policy advice; the GMEF might function as such a body. Both UNEP and the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) must foster environmental protection and development as a uniform endeavour which urgently requires integrated solutions. This can be done by effecting a pragmatic division of work at functional and operational levels.
 In addition, three other strategies of strengthening international environmental governance should be pursued: First, the various international environmental treaty-making and treatyimplementation processes should be better harmonised or, at least, co-ordinated; in this context, UNEP is called upon to continue and intensify its efforts to enhance the synergies and linkages between multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) with comparable areas of focus, by prompting the respective MEA secretariats to enter into appropriate co-ordination arrangements and giving them full logistic support in this respect. Second, as many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have considerable knowledge and expertise in environmental and developmental matters, States should consider intensifying the partnership with them. States
 should, however, be empowered to make a selective choice among the mass of NGOs operating at international level. They should accept as partners only those NGOs which meet certain qualitative requirements. Third, as local governments are key components of national sustainable development strategies if such plans are to succeed, the existing local Agenda 21 processes should be expanded and intensified. In particular, supporting the direct engagement of local and sub-national institutions from around the world in international activities and partnerships is an important component of good international environmental governance

Ranking EU Countries According to Their Level of Success in Achieving the Objectives of the Sustainable Development Strategy

Sustainable development as a concept, is extremely important both at national and international levels. To achieve the goals of sustainable development, international cooperation among countries is of vital importance because no one nation can accomplish these goals independently. In order to implement the sustainable development strategy, first discussed in 1992 at the UN Conference of Environment and Development, the indicators of sustainable development first had to be defined. Considering that the first set of indicators was defined by the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), they were entitled CSD indicators. The smaller set of CSD indicators in the European Union countries (EU-28) is observed in this study. These indicators cover three aspects of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. The goal of this study is to rank EU countries according to the level that they were able to achieve the objectives of their respective sustainable development strategies individually, according to the 2013 database. The appropriate statistical I-distance method was used for this purpose. In the first step, the significant indicators are distinguished and ranked according to the quantity and importance of the information they provide for specific research. Subsequently, this method then converts the indicators into a single measure that reflects the level at which each country has achieved the goal.

Hybrid governance mechanisms as political instruments: the case of sustainability partnerships

Hybrid governance mechanisms have become one of the most preferred models of governance. Their influence and use have increased slowly but consistently since the end of the Cold War. This article investigates their political dimension, by way of studying United Nations’ partnerships for sustainable development, registered with the commission on sustainable development (CSD). Around 350 sustainability partnerships that promise to solve environmental problems and achieve the MDGs are registered with the CSD. Since their endorsement at the 2002 Johannesburg Summit, various studies assessed their value for environmental governance often finding them ineffective or counter-productive. This article exposes a new set of influences that partnerships have on the practice and discourses of global environmental governance, by following the politics of their emergence, that of partnership building and registration, and their actualization: During their negotiation, various contestations emerged and influenced the resulting partnerships regime; this is studied through in-depth interviews. Secondly, this regime leaves many geographical and participatory lacunas with political effects, which are studied through a large-N database. Finally, the unintended consequences of partnership projects on their issue areas and the discursive changes they cause in environmental governance reveal an otherwise concealed political dimension: The introduction of controversial technologies into the UN platforms.

2. Sustainable Development

Since the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment, the reach of sustainable development governance has expanded considerably at all levels. The need for integration of economic development, natural resources management and protection, and social equity and inclusion was introduced for the first time by the Brundtland Commission’s 1987 report Our Common Future, and it has become central in framing the discussions at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) as the UN’s high-level political body entrusted with monitoring and promoting the implementation of the Rio outcomes, including Agenda 21. The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development advanced the mainstreaming of the three dimensions of sustainable development in development policies at all levels through the adoption of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI). In...

Taking the lead: informal division of labour in the EU's external environmental policy-making

The article examines the informal division of labour in the European Union's (EU's) external environmental policy-making. It focuses on informal arrangements in the EU co-ordination and representation processes with regard to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and international climate negotiations. Whereas the rotating Presidency is formally in charge of leading the internal EU co-ordination and representing the EU externally, we see that in practice an informal system is used, in which member states and Commission officials informally ‘take the lead’. Based upon new-institutionalist insights, this article argues that four functional reasons explain the informality in the EU's external environmental policy-making: burden sharing; expertise pooling; involving member states; and guaranteeing continuity. Moreover, once the informal arrangement is in place, actors in the EU keep using it because they act path-dependently and because it is considered the most appropriate way to act in many international environmental negotiations.

2. Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

2. Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

Strengthening International Governance for Sustainable Development: Expectations for the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit

On 1 August 2000 the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 came into operation. This is a typical example of an act which attempts to, in conjunction with the private sector, provide for third generation fundamental rights. This note concentrates on the influence of the act on the contractual aspects of the rental agreement. Sections 4 and 5 have a direct influence on the relationship between the landlord and tenant. In particular matters like unfair discrimination and the right to privacy are addressed. Certain rights are afforded to third parties namely the members of the tenant’s household and bona fide visitors. Important aspects are inter alia the right to have the agreement reduced to writing and the provisions which are deemed to be contained in the agreement. This includes, amongst others, the right to receive receipts, certain information, payment of a deposit, interest on the deposit and the inspection of the property. The conclusion is made that the act is a welcome replacement of the Rent Control Act. There are however certain practicalities which could jeopordise the success of the act. It is unlikely that the provinces have the capacity to implement the act. The protection provided by the act to the lower income groups may not materialise as they often do not know their rights and would often rather suffer the bad living conditions than risking the possibility of loosing it altogther by complaining. Back 2. Strengthening International Governance for Sustainable Development: Expectations for the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit SUMMARY During the broad preparatory process for the Johannesburg World Summit there was hope that Johannesburg would become the starting point for establishing a more effective "international environmental governance". However, there is still controversial debate on how to achieve the aim of better governance. As the idea of establishing a Global Environment Organisation (GEO) with which the existing UNEP could merge can, at best be realised in the long run, UNEP should continue to play its leading role in the field of international environmental action. However, it will undoubtedly be unable to do so unless its internal structure and financial base are considerably strengthened. It was certainly a serious handicap that, until recently, the UNEP Governing Council has hampered effective ministerial participation and continuity in governance. Now it is supposed to share its governance role with the newly established Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF), functioning as an additional UNEP policy organ that is expected to provide broad overarching policy advice. The GMEF is determined to meet annually at ministerial level. But there is still controversial debate on the question whether the GMEF, as opposed to the Governing Council, is to be organised as a body with universal membership. In the author’s view, UNEP should continue to function as a non-plenary organ with clear-cut decision-making powers. It should meet at the ministerial level. Considering its broad range of tasks, it should function on a permanent basis in the future. And, finally, it should be assisted by a high-level intergovernmental body for providing broad overarching environmental policy advice; the GMEF might function as such a body. Both UNEP and the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) must foster environmental protection and development as a uniform endeavour which urgently requires integrated solutions. This can be done by effecting a pragmatic division of work at functional and operational levels. In addition, three other strategies of strengthening international environmental governance should be pursued: First, the various international environmental treaty-making and treaty-implementation processes should be better harmonised or, at least, co-ordinated; in this context, UNEP is called upon to continue and intensify its efforts to enhance the synergies and linkages between multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) with comparable areas of focus, by prompting the respective MEA secretariats to enter into appropriate co-ordination arrangements and giving them full logistic support in this respect. Second, as many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have considerable knowledge and expertise in environmental and developmental matters, States should consider intensifying the partnership with them. States should, however, be empowered to make a selective choice among the mass of NGOs operating at international level. They should accept as partners only those NGOs which meet certain qualitative requirements. Third, as local governments are key components of national sustainable development strategies if such plans are to succeed, the existing local Agenda 21 processes should be expanded and intensified. In particular, supporting the direct engagement of local and sub-national institutions from around the world in international activities and partnerships is an important component of good international environmental governance.

U.S. policy in the UN environmental arena: powerful laggard or constructive leader?

As the world’s one remaining superpower, the United States stands forth as a hegemon in international politics. Within the traditional realist perspective, this means that the U.S. is decisive for the ambition and scope of international cooperation. However, research has shown that there is limited empirical support for this assumption when it comes to environmental cooperation. After a brief look at the U.S. general attitude and perception of the UN, this paper will then review general trends in U.S. foreign environmental policy within the United Nations context, including several key domestic factors that have influenced the U.S. in this area. I will then look more specifically at three UN institutions that are responsible for different aspects of environmental governance: United Nations global conferences (Stockholm in 1972, Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and Johannesburg in 2002), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The main focus will be how U.S. policies and influence in these arenas, and their relationship to UN reform, have evolved over time. Finally, the paper will attempt to analyze the American policies and answer the question posed in the title: is the U.S. a powerful laggard or a constructive leader?

The European Union in global environmental governance: Leadership in the making?

For well over a decade, the European Union (EU) has proclaimed its leadership role in global environmental governance (GEG). In this article, we examine both the nature of its leadership and the underlying conditions for ‘actorness’ upon which leadership must depend. The EU’s record in the global conferences as well as its influence on the reform of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are also investigated. We argue that the EU has frequently sought to shape international environmental negotiations and promote sustainable development as an organising principle of global governance. Despite its inadequate status at the UN and internal problems, it has had a significant effect on the global agenda. However, due to persistent diplomatic opposition from other coalitions, its real, directly visible influence has been more modest. For genuine directional leadership, which goes beyond the defence of self-interest, the Union will have to make internal policy coherence a greater priority. Moreover, apart from relying solely on its weighty presence in the international system or its potential capabilities, the EU needs to achieve a high level of credibility in order to enhance its powers of persuasion.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development: Which Mechanisms Explain Its Accomplishments?

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) has been criticized for lack of effectiveness since its establishment in 1993. The main objective of this article is to describe and explain the mechanisms that affect the work of the CSD, in order to understand how it would be possible to enhance the potential for effectiveness. The study aims to apply the perspectives of “distribution of capabilities” and “institutional design” to evaluate the CSD's accomplishments during its fırst ten-year period. I conclude that the CSD has achieved some results in monitoring and reviewing the process on the implementation of Agenda 21 and promoting dialogue and building partnerships for sustainable development, due to the role of the secretariat and nongovernmental organizations. However, the member states' positions and interests have contributed to the CSD's low goal attainment, especially in the area of policy guidance.

Indicators of Sustainable Development and Environmental Conservation for Environmental Policies

The purpose of this paper is to study the situation of the environment in developing countries, and to show a sustainable development path for the society. To attain this, adequate sets of indicators or indices concerned with sustainable development as well as the environmental situation are needed. Accordingly, a major task of this paper will be to develop a new set of indicators of sustainable development and environment. Recently, the environmental situation in many developing countries has deteriorated. Environmental problems are expanding and becoming more complicated. To tackle these problems, we should arrange for data sets adequate to lead to an accurate assessment of causalities between economic-social structure and environmental problems. In this study, my viewpoint focused on the United Nation's CSD (the Commission on Sustainable Development) Indicators. By making some amendments to the CSD Indicators, a new version of the CSD Indicators was composed and some empirical investigations concerning sustainable development are given. The major findings of this paper are as follows. First, problems occur in data-shortage related to the environment especially in non-OECD countries. Second, the new version of the CSD Indicators can be effectively used to analyze environmental issues. Finally, policy implications are proposed for environmental conservation and sustainable development. The CSD Indicators should be amended and used for measures of environmental analysis and policymaking.JEL classification: Q50, Q56, Q58

Education at the Commission on Sustainable Development: the perception of the international community

This paper explores the role of education as it might assist in achieving a sustainable world. It examines the perceptions of the international community present at the seventh session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). A survey was conducted of 146 delegates and UN staff over the two weeks of the Commission's session in April 1999. The survey identified the primary importance placed on education as a cross-cutting theme of sustainability and the need for efforts to be co-ordinated to achieve education for sustainable development at all levels. To make further progress for implementing Agenda 21, the task management by UNESCO must improve through instigation of a supportive reporting system at the CSD. The education community must receive appropriate support and funding to make effective progress at local and national levels to implement the work programme for education, public awareness and training.

Small island developing states and sustainable development of ocean resources

AbstractBecause of their economic and environmental vulnerability, small island developing states (SIDS) have peculiar developmental problems that severely affect their ability to implement the measures necessary for attaining sustainable development as recommended in UNCED's Agenda 21. Although this has been recognised by the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), and although there has been international acceptance of a SIDS Programme of Action (POA), SIDS have not been the focus of adequate attention by international and donor agencies. As a result, progress toward implementing the POA has been disappointing. This study examines the question of how sustainable management and development of ocean resources can contribute significantly to the achievement of the objectives of the SIDS POA.

Negotiations in the UN Commission on Sustainable Development: Coalitions, Processes, and Outcomes

AbstractThis research examines state coalitions' negotiation processes during four sessions of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). It asks whether coalition type affects the negotiation process and whether process affects the negotiated outcome. Negotiation analysts expect convergent bargaining behaviors to lead to compromises between negotiators' positions and problem solving behaviors to lead to the integration of these positions, with the latter assumed to be the superior outcome. The CSD negotiations offer an empirical test of these hypotheses, as well as hypotheses regarding expected negotiation processes for different coalition types. The study uses data gathered by the author at CSD sessions in 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1998 and finds support for the process-outcome hypotheses. The examination also provides a basis from which to offer lessons for future CSD sessions. I explore how changes in process timing, third party roles, and issue framing could encourage a problem solving process and integrative decisions at the CSD.

Education for sustainability at the United Nations: making progress?

The authors commence by discussing the role of the United Nations (UN) Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) in relation to the field of education. The report of the UN Secretary-General to the CSD, Promoting Education, Public Awareness and Training is then evaluated. Novel proposals for the development of an Education 21 programme and for the designation of the educational community as a major group are outlined and advocated. The paper concludes with sections on what was achieved and what remains to be done; recommendations for action are made.

Sustainable Principles or Sustainable Institutions? The Long Way from UNCED to the Commission on Sustainable Development

Summary Helge Ole Bergesen and Trond K. Botnen, ‘Sustainable Principles or Sustainable Institutions? The Long Way from UNCED to the Commission on Sustainable Development’, Forum for Development Studies, 1996: 1, pp. 35–61. The purpose of this article is to develop an analytical framework that makes it possible to evaluate the contents of political commitment, as expressed by UN conferences, and to explore the potential of this approach through an empirical study of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), the institutional outcome of UNCED. The authors develop a typology of functions which intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) can have, ranging from arena for agenda-setting and discussion, to rule-making, monitoring, adjudication and enforcement. In an attempt to probe the commitments made at UNCED, the authors look at three substantive issue-areas: (1) finance; (2) consumption and population; and (3) reviews of national information on Agenda 21 implementation. They conclude that the Commission has, so far, not succeeded in going beyond the arena function.

Measuring progress on UNCED implementation

This introduction to the special issue on Earth Summit implementation calls attention to the significance of the review of progress achieved in the implementation of the oceans and coasts agenda of the 1992 Earth Summit (the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)) conducted by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in April 1996. It poses major questions facing the Commission, introduces the major themes discussed in the special issue and makes some assessments on the nature and pace of UNCED implementation. Almost four years have passed since the momentous Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. In April 1996, the institution created to monitor and provide oversight on the large and complex blueprint for change adopted in Rio, the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), considers the progress that has been achieved in the area of oceans and coasts. This is, then, a very propitious time to take stock of what, if anything, has changed in the way in which nations, international institutions and communities manage the world's oceans and coasts. Four years is a very short time in the implementation of almost any program, and in this case particularly so, with more than 2500 prescriptions for action emanating from the Earth Summit—prescriptions aimed at national governments, local communities, international organizations, groups and individuals—all important actors in implementation. Nevertheless, the CSD review provides a focal point, an agenda focusing event, for the interested community to pause and reflect on what has changed since Rio. In this vein, we asked key individuals around the world to share their perspectives on what has been achieved since Rio, what is likely to be achieved still and on what is lacking in the implementation of the multi-faceted oceans and coasts agenda of the Earth Summit—including the prescriptions of Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, as well as those of the Climate Change and Biodiversity Conventions. The papers in this special issue thus present a set of perspectives on what has been accomplished, as well as what remains to be done. The papers vary in their content and approach—some represent fully fledged research appraisals of implementation in a particular area, others are reports of ongoing implementation activities and some are personal commentaries on the UNCED implementation process.

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development: Securing the Outcomes of UNCED?

The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), the intergovernmental body set up to review the implementation of Agenda 21, is in more than one way crucial for the future development of the United Nations system. The Commission is the first organisation within the United Nations system which institutionally links environment and development. In these policy areas, two integration processes can be distinguished. First, environment and development initiatives have to be taken into account in all other areas of policy and law-making, including such important fields as foreign policy and national and international security. Secondly, the interests of actors on the global stage, including states, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, are becoming more and more interrelated and convergent.