Bigg, Tom. 1995. "The UN Commission on Sustainable Development: a non-governmental perspective." Global Environmental Change 5 (3): 251-253.

Summary:

The author provides a description of the history, organization and operation of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The CSD is responsible for the official implementation of Agenda 21 developed at the Rio Summit Conference in 1992. According to Bigg, its primary role is "in coordinating and promoting implementation of all the programmes agreed at Rio at every level - from the activities of intergovernmental bodies to the implementation of 'Local Agenda 21s' at community level" (p. 251).

How has the CSD fared since UNCED?

Goals include 1) greater cooperation with the governing bodies of international organizations, the Bretton Woods institutions and the GATT/World Trade Organization; 2) seek legally binding status of the Prior Informed Consent Procedure - OECD countries should ban exports of listed or dangerous substances to developing countries; 3) adopt additional measures to change contemporary patterns of consumption and production that are detrimental to sustainable development; and 4) support the elaboration of realistic and understandable sustainable development indicators that can supplement national reporting [to the CSD].

The structure of the CSD includes a CSD Bureau, Secretariat, Task Managers, an Inter Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (IACSD), a High Level Advisory Board, and 'Major group' involvement (see p. 252).

Effectiveness in influencing national governments:

According to Bigg, the CSD is inhibited in its effectiveness due to a "lack of clarity on what the process of reporting is designed to achieve, and the best means by which to get there" (p. 252). Domestic pressure on domestic politics may improve its effectiveness.

Effectiveness in influencing other intergovernmental fora:

The IACSD, as mentioned above, is responsible for implementing Agenda 21 policy in the CSD sessions.

Forthcoming events:

These include the 1995 CSD Session, The CSD and Institutional Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, the 1996 CSD Session an the 1997 CSD Session.

Keywords: UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), Brundtland Report (1987)