Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It was created in December 1992 to promote sustainable development and to ensure full support for giving effect to Agenda 21 worldwide and effective follow-up of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992). At the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002 the Commission was mandated to continue to be the key body on sustainable development within the United Nations system and to serve as a forum for consideration of issues related to the policy integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental.
During the period 1993-2003, the CSD met annually, addressing different chapters of Agenda 21 each year. With the adoption of the new programme of work at CSD-11 in May 2003, the work of the CSD will be organized as a series of two-year action-oriented Implementation Cycles which will include a Review Session and a Policy Session.
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Reports: content and reporting frequency
A principal function of the CSD is to review and monitor progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and to foster coherence of implementation, initiatives and partnerships.Reporting to CSD is voluntary. Beginning in 1992, countries were asked to provide national reports annually. National reports provide information on the status of implementation of the Agenda 21 chapters related to the themes of the CSD session. The eighth session of CSD in 2000 focused on forests, amongst other things. The
guidelines for reporting on forests to CSD8 and the national reports are available on-line.An analytical synthesis report on national trends based on the information on forests submitted to CSD8, was prepared and published as an
addendum to a report of the Secretary-General.On the occasion of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, a comprehensive report entitled
'National Implementation of Agenda 21: The Report' was prepared. The report is in its entirety approximately 300 pages, complete with tables and charts and includes a specific section on forests.As a result of the new programme of work adopted at CSD-11, national reports are to be presented to the Commission's Review Session and will focus on concrete progress in implementation, including achievements, constraints, challenges and opportunities. Forests will be addressed in the 2012-2013 cycle. The next national reporting on forests to the CSD will take place at the Review Session in 2012.
Last updated: april 2006