United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

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1 Expert Group Meeting for the Global Sustainable Development Report 2013 Engaging National Assessments (DESA) Division for Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Science and Technology/the Administrative Centre for China s Agenda 21 Beijing, China, December (2 days) Tentative Draft A. Background Follow-up to Rio+20 The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), informally referred to as Rio+20, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, agreed in its outcome document to establish a High-level Forum on Sustainable Development that would report to the General Assembly. It should be noted that the Rio+20 outcome document was endorsed in its entirety by General Assembly resolution A/66/288 of 27 July of the outcome document outlines a number of functions of the High-level Forum. In particular, paragraph 85(k) calls for a Global Sustainable Development Report: 85. The high-level forum could: [ ] (k) Strengthen the science-policy interface through review of documentation, bringing together dispersed information and assessments, including in the form of a global sustainable development report, building on existing assessments; The final report of the Secretary General s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (entitled Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing ), while only an informal recommendation, contains a whole section (V.D) detailing the potential objectives and content of a recommended Global Sustainable Development Outlook. The Secretary General provided further details in his report A/67/591 of 27 November 2012, entitled Revised estimates resulting from the decisions contained in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled The future we want which was endorsed by the General Assembly at the end of 2012: 64. The Division for Sustainable Development is responsible for the subprogramme. The strategy will include: (f) Undertaking in-depth analysis and evaluation of trends and scientific analysis in the implementation of sustainable development, including lessons learned, best practices and new challenges, and cross-sectoral analysis of sustainable development issues, including means of implementation culminating in a global sustainable development report; Global Sustainable Development Report In response to the high-level guidance and mandates outlined above, the United Nations Department of Economic leads the preparation of the first Global Sustainable Development Report. The 2013 report will be completed in time for the expected first session of the High-level Political Forum in September The report will aim to: 1 P a g e

2 Map the sustainable development assessments and related processes, provide science digests of issues not contained in assessments, and highlight emerging issues identified by scientists; Review sustainable development progress since 1950 versus goals suggested by science and in terms of trends in policy, institutions and implementation of commitments, and sketch the geography of sustainable development progress; Tell the stories of future pathways toward sustainable development based on the literature, contrasted against a dynamics-as-usual scenario; Discuss investment and technology needs to achieve the future pathways outlined above, provide a status report on the global Rio+20 follow-up processes on the means of implementation, and discuss the pros and cons of new measures of progress beyond GDP and related means of monitoring; Identify lessons learnt and coherent policy menus from national, regional and global case sties of the climate-land-energy-water-development nexus; and Conclude with policy issues for consideration. Box 1 shows the current outline of the Global Sustainable Development Report For more details, please refer to the full annotated outline. 2 P a g e

3 Box 1: Outline of the Global Sustainable Development Report 2013 Executive Summary I. Introduction II. Assessments for sustainable development A. Mapping of sustainable development assessments and related processes B. Science digests C. Emerging issues identified by science III. Review of progress A. Sustainable development trends vs. goals suggested by science B. Trends in policy, institutions and implementation of commitments C. Making sense of the debate on sustainable development progress D. Geography of sustainable development progress IV. Future pathways toward sustainable development A. If we continue like in the past: a dynamics-as-usual scenario B. A better world we can achieve: a sustainable development scenario C. Note on global scenarios at the science-policy interface D. Lessons-learned and policy solutions V. Making and measuring progress A. Input needs and market potentials B. Follow-up to Rio+20 on the means of implementation C. Measuring and monitoring progress VI. Special theme: The climate-land-energy-water-development nexus A. Rationale and nexus examples B. National case studies C. Regional case studies D. Global case study E. Towards coherent policy menus VII. Issues for consideration 3 P a g e

4 B. Rationale and Approach Coordinated action among the 193 UN member States on the way forward towards sustainable development has proven very challenging ever since the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Environment and Development. Much political and analytical focus has been on action by developed countries and cooperation between the developed and developing countries. Yet, the economic rise of a number of developing countries over recent decades suggests that cooperation among a number of rapidly growing developing countries could make a decisive difference in global sustainable development progress. In this connection, a background study is being carried out focusing on existing national sustainable development reports or similar studies in a number of relatively large and fast-growing developing countries. Also, a number of reports have been done by the UN Regional Commissions on sustainable development progress and challenges in the regions (see Annex 1). The participating countries have all produced national sustainable development report(s) or similar studies to date (examples are included in Annex 1). 1 They are also in most cases large countries and/or rapidly developing ones. A number of researchers involved in preparing those reports have indicated interest in contributing to the preparation of the Global Sustainable Development Report. The present expert group meeting intends to bring together leading scientists and experts involved in the above mentioned reports, in order to ensure their research findings and analytical perspectives are featured in the Global Sustainable Development Report. C. Format The Global Sustainable Development Report is expected to be issued regularly. The first edition will be completed for the by the end of The EGM will last for two days. Day 1 will focus on technical level and comprise of a regional launch of a prototype of the Report for review. Day 2 will focus on the role of the Report in strengthening the sciencepolicy interface. In particular, it will discuss with policy makers and most productive and useful way of involving national, sub-regional and regional scientific communities, policy analysts, planners and other experts as well as the most useful way to use scientific research and data in policy-making. We envisage the proposed EGM as the first of a series of similar national and regional expert consultations in the future. D. Objectives The overall objective of the meeting is to bring together findings and lessons-learnt from national and regional sustainable development reports, as input to the Global Sustainable Development Report. The meeting aims to generate analytical content for the first issue of GSDR as well as ideas for future issues; to help build a working group in support of the Global Sustainable Development Report; and to strengthen the science-policy interface at the global level. 1 For example, China has issued its annual sustainable development report since The most recent report was launched in March Chinese Academy of Sciences is the lead institute preparing these national reports. In this regard, China has built extensive knowledge and experience, which would be of great help to guide the work on the Global Sustainable Development Report. 4 P a g e

5 E. Participants Invitations will be issued to a group of scientists and experts involved in sustainable development reports and/or related assessment processes focusing on developing countries, as well as a group of Chinese experts. Priority will be given to the principal authors of national sustainable development reports. In addition, a few other leading international scientists and social scientists working on sustainable development will be invited. The UN system will also be represented. F. Outcome The series of national and regional studies presented during the EGM will serves as background documents for the Global Sustainable Development Report. The intention is by the close of the EGM to have a focused set of scientific conclusions and policy messages that are of global relevance and could inform the preparation of Chapters II, III, V, and VI of GSDR. Attachment: Annex: List of National and Regional Sustainable Development Reports For further information, please refer to the Global Sustainable Development Report s Website: 5 P a g e

6 Annex: List of National and Regional Sustainable Development Reports As part of the preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, known as Rio+20), the (UN DESA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided support to 72 developing countries across all regions, to enable them to prepare for and contribute effectively to the Rio+20. The national preparatory process placed focus on a multi-stakeholder process to build a consensus on national views around the themes and objectives of the Conference, based on each country s sustainable development goals and objectives. It was envisaged that the output, in the form of a national synthesis report, would contribute towards a solid foundation at the national level for implementation of the outcomes of the Conference. Around 60 national reports were synthesised in a publication called Synthesis of National Reports for Rio+20, available on the UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform at Country Cover Report Brazil Brazil Low-carbon Development Study, Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme The World Bank India Sustainable Development in India: Stocktaking in the run up to Rio+20, India menu=45 Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India China China Sustainable Development Strategy Report, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Official site: (in Chinese) Chinese Academy of Sciences Since 2007, the Report followed theme-based approach. 6 P a g e

7 Country Cover Report South Africa South Africa: The Challenge of Sustainable Development UNDP HDR National Report 2003 Indonesia Low Carbon Development Options for Indonesia, November v%20options%20phase1_english_0.pdf The World Bank and Ministry of Finance, Indonesia Mexico Low-carbon Development for Mexico, MX_BriefingNote003_10.pdf Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme The World Bank Vietnam Implementation of Sustainable Development: National Report at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), Hanoi, May %20Report%20Rio+20.pdf Ministry of Planning and Investment Government of Vietnam 7 P a g e

8 Country Cover Report Turkey Turkey s Sustainable Development Report Claiming the Future Ministry of Development Government of Turkey Bangladesh Bangladesh s National Report on Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environment and Forests Bangladesh Iran Energy and Sustainable Development in Iran, Institute for International Energy Studies (IIES) Thailand Supporting Sustainable Development in Thailand: A Geographic Clusters Approach, The World Bank Asia and the Pacific Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific, Turning resource constraints and the climate crisis into economic growth opportunities, Environment and Development Policy Section UN ESCAP 8 P a g e

9 Country Cover Report Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean - follow-up to the UN Development agenda beyond 2015 and to Rio Sustainable_development_WEB.pdf ECLAC Africa Sustainable Development Report on Africa Managing Land-based Resources for Sustainable Development, d-based%20resources.pdf Economic Commission for Africa 9 P a g e