Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - Sustainable Development: World Summit on Sustainable Development

	WSSD Follow-Up CSD 12

United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development 12th Session, 19-30 April 2004

- Water, sanitation and human settlements -

DAILY PROGRAMME

MEDIA RELEASES

"South Africa requires honest review for progress on meeting international poverty targets", issued on Thursday, 22 April 2004

UPDATES

Update 1: Monday, 26 April 2004
Update 2: Wednesday, 28 April 2004
Update 3: Friday, 30 April 2004

The United Nations headquarters in New York, home of the 12th meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development

SOUTH AFRICA'S OPENING STATEMENT

On Monday, 19 April, South Africa's opening statement to CSD-12 was delivered by the Director-General of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Mr Mike Muller

SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT REPORTS TO CSD-12

South Africa's progress report on water and sanitation to CSD-12 (Word document | 187KB)
South Africa's progress report on human settlements to CSD-12 (Word document | 260KB)

DAILY SUMMARIES BY EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN

The Director-General of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism took over the leadership of the SA delegation to CSD-12 on Monday, 27 April. In the afternoon he delivered a statement on behalf of SA to a session on the relationship between the meeting's themes: water, sanitation and human settlements

Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism Director-General Crispian Olver
in conversation with Joanne Dissano,
director of the UN Department for Social
and Economic Affairs
LEILA MEAD / EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN / 27 APRIL 2004

CSD-12’s high-level segment opened on 27
April with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
addressing the Commission
LEILA MEAD / EARTH NEGOTIATIONS
BULLETIN / 27 APRIL 2004

The South African delegation meets every morning at 08h00 for a review of the previous day's activities and to plan the day ahead. The delegation is led by Water Affairs and Forestry Director-General Mike Muller (with red tie), and includes representatives of the departments of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Housing, Water Affairs and Forestry, Science and Technology and Foreign Affairs. The City of Johannesburg and the SA Local Government Association are also attending the meeting

South Africa's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo (right), attended part of the daily briefing on Tuesday, 20 April. He stressed the importance of CSD-12 to lay the groundwork for important items on the UN's agenda in 2005, such as the review of progress with the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals

BACKGROUND TO CSD-12

The twelfth session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-12) meets at the UN headquarters in New York from 14-30 April 2004. For the first three days (14-16 April), CSD-12 served as a preparatory meeting for the 10-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The two weeks 19-30 April serve as the CSD-12 Review Session.

CSD-12: The Review Year of the First "Implementation Cycle"

As agreed at CSD-11, the CSD now functions on the basis of two-year "Implementation Cycles," each cycle focusing on a key thematic cluster of issues (see below). The first year of each cycle -- the review year -- will evaluate progress made in implementing sustainable development commitments made in Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and relevant CSD sessions and focus on identifying obstacles and constraints. The second year -- the policy year -- will decide on measures to speed up implementation and mobilise action to overcome obstacles and constraints, and build on lessons learned.

The first Implementation Cycle will take place from 2004-05, where CSD-12 (April 2004) will be a Review Session, while CSD-13 (Spring 2005) will be a Policy Session.

Themes for the 2004-05 Implementation Cycle

As the beginning of the first 2-year cycle, the CSD-12 Review Session will focus on the thematic cluster of water, sanitation and human settlements. As with every cycle in the new programme of work, CSD-12 will tackle this agenda using a number of cross-cutting issues, namely:

poverty eradication;
changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption;
protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development;
sustainable development in a globalising world;
health and sustainable development;
sustainable development of small-island developing states;
sustainable development for Africa;
other regional initiatives;
means of implementation;
institutional framework for sustainable development;
gender equality; and
education.

Activities at the CSD-12 Review Session

CSD-12 will incorporate a wide range of activities and meeting formats, including panel discussions, interactive debates, eminent speakers, and regional sessions. Additionally, CSD-12 will be the first session to incorporate a Partnerships Fair and Learning Centre into the official CSD meetings. CSD-12 will also continue the tradition of side events.

Documentation for the CSD-12 Review Session

In preparation for the CSD-12 Review Session, a number of Secretary-General reports on implementation have been produced.

Overview of progress towards sustainable development -- a review of the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation: Report of the Secretary-General (PDF | 170KB)
Freshwater Management -- Progress in meeting the goals, targets and commitments of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation: Report of the Secretary-General (PDF | 184KB)
Sanitation -- Progress in meeting the goals, targets and commitment of Agenda 21,the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21,and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation: Report of the Secretary-General (PDF | 189KB)

Outputs

The main written outputs from the CSD-12 Review Session will be a report, including a chairperson's summary, identifying constraints and obstacles and possible approaches and best practices for the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, as well as records of the regional discussions and activities held as part of the Partnerships Fair and Learning Centre.

Other outputs include training opportunities and facilitating exchanges of experience and lessons learned as part of CSD-12's intention to mobilise further action by all implementation actors to overcome obstacles and constraints in the implementation of sustainable development.

The SIDS Preparatory Meeting (April 14-16)

A three-day preparatory meeting will be convened in New York from 14-16 April 2004 as part of CSD-12 for the upcoming international meeting that will review the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Development States.

Regional Implementation Meetings

A series of regional implementation meetings organised by the respective UN Regional Commissions were held between October 2003 and January 2004, which will contribute to providing regional inputs and perspectives to CSD-12 addressing one or all of its thematic areas.