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Information
- Date submitted: 1 Nov 2011
- Stakeholder type: Member State
- Name: Senegal
- Submission Document: Download
Full Submission
Questionnaire for the Member States on
Experiences, Success Factors, Risks and Challenges
with Regard to Objective and Themes of UN Conference on Sustainable
Development (UNCSD)
I. Introduction
1. This Questionnaire has been prepared in response to the decisions of the First
Preparatory Committee Meeting (1st Prepcom) held on 17-18 May 2010 which invites
the Member States to contribute to the preparatory process, inter-alia, on experiences,
success factors, challenges and risks. Contributions and information collected will
lead to the preparation of a Synthesis Report which will be discussed at the first
intersessional meeting scheduled to take place on 10-11 January 2011.
II. Objective and Themes of UNCSD
2. UNCSD is being organized in pursuance of General Assembly Resolution
64/236. The Conference will take place in Brazil in 2012 on the occasion of the 20th
anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg
3. The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for
sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the
implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development,
and addressing new and emerging challenges. To this end, the focus is on two
themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty
eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.
III. Questionnaires for Providing Contributions
4. Separate questionnaires have been prepared for the objective and two themes of
the Conference (see Attachments A-E). A list of these questionnaires is provided
below.
Questionnaire A: Renewing political commitment for sustainable
development
Questionnaire B: Assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in
the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable
development
Questionnaire C: Addressing new and emerging challenges
Questionnaire D: Green economy in the context of sustainable development
and poverty eradication
Questionnaire E: Institutional framework for sustainable development
Each questionnaire is divided into two parts. The first part provides a brief
introduction with regard to current thinking on the issues embedded in each objective
and theme, while questions for which contributions are sought are presented in part 2.
These questions are grouped under experiences, success factors, challenges and risks.
IV. Process for Submitting Contributions
5. There are two ways of submitting contributions, on-line or by email:
Online: Questionnaires will be posted on the UNCSD website in a writeable
form. Focal points can request a secure password from the secretariat
(UNCSD2012@un.org). Stakeholder will be able to enter information on
their secure location, submit completed portions and attachments in real
time, while saving incomplete work for later submission.
By email: The questionnaires can be downloaded from the website or
obtained electronically from the secretariat (UNCSD2012@un.org), and
completed offline. They can be submitted, together with relevant
attachments, by e-mail to UNCSD2012@un.org, with a copy to Mr. Arthur
de la Cruz: (delacruza@un.org).
6. In addition to solicited inputs through the questionnaires for the preparation of
Synthesis Report, the Member States are invited to submit additional material on case
studies, best practices, lessons learned, assessments made, specific programmes/
projects implemented, institutions developed which are relevant to the objective and
themes of the conference. This information can be submitted electronically, as pdf
attachments or weblinks (urls). Electronic copies can be sent to
UNCSD2012@un.org, with a copy to delacruza@un.org. If electronic copies are not
available, hard copies can be sent by mail to: Mr Arthur de La Cruz, Division for
Sustainable Development, Two UN Plaza, 22nd Floor, Room DC2-2200, New York,
NY 10017, USA, or by fax: +(1-212) 963-1267.
V. Deadlines for Submission of Inputs through Questionnaires
7. The deadline for the submission of questionnaires is 31 October 2010. All
submissions received by that date, together with supporting materials, will be posted
on the UNCSD website as requested by the Preparatory Committee.
8. To streamline the process of preparing the Synthesis Report to the 1st
intersessional and 2nd Prepcom meetings, the following schedule and deadlines have
been established:
30 August 2010: Questionnaires for different stakeholders finalized
30 August 2010: Secretariat posts draft questionnaires for comments on
the UNCSD website
3 September 2010: Deadline for comments on draft questionnaires
10 September 2010: Final questionnaires posted on the website and placed
in e-room
30 September 2010: Reminder sent to all Stakeholders to alert them of the
deadline for submission of inputs
31 October 2010: Final deadline for contributions through questionnaires
1December 2010: Slot date for submission of Synthesis Report for
Publication; advance copies posted on website and circulated to all
stakeholders.
VI. Information Management System
9. In the UNCSD preparatory process, the information management system
established by the Secretariat seeks to accomplish two purposes. First, it creates a
structure through which all Stakeholders, including those designated by the Prepcom,
can provide their contributions in a transparent, coordinated, and organized manner.
Second, it seeks to create a structure through which all relevant institutions in the UN
system can participate effectively during the process of Report preparation.
10. Separate pages will be established in the information management system for
every Member State. The information on the page would be publicly available. Steps
will be taken to develop a collaborative management system for the relevant pages,
including the assignment of unique passwords to the respective Stakeholders for
secured access and webpage management.
VII. Essential Background Materials
11. The following have been placed on the UNCSD website to assist Stakeholders
in providing their contributions and completing the Questionnaires:
ANNEX 1: Co-Chairs? Summary, 1st Prepcom
ANNEX 2: Report of Contact Group 1, 1st Prepcom (Preparatory Process)
ANNEX 3: Report of Contact Group 2, 1st Prepcom (Draft Rules of
Procedure)
ANNEX 4: List of Questions circulated by the Bureau to guide the
discussions at the 1st Prepcom
ANNEX 5: GA Resolution 64/236 Implementation of Agenda 21, the
Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Outcomes
of the World Summit on Sustainable Development
ANNEX 6: Secretary General?s Report for the 1st Prepcom (Document
A/CONF.216/PC/2)
ANNEX 7: Secretary General?s Report on the UNCSD Preparatory Process
(Document A/CONF.216/PC/3)
ANNEX 8: Secretary General?s Report on Draft Rules of Procedure
(Document A/CONF.216/PC/3)
Attachment A
Questionnaire on
Renewing political commitment for sustainable development
I. Introduction
The objective of UNCSD is to renew political support for sustainable development,
assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the
outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and addressing new and
emerging challenges.
The issue of renewed political commitment will need to be addressed in the longer
term context of how agreement among governments and other stakeholders at
UNCSD could help accelerate progress towards, inter alia: (i) the demographic goal
of stabilizing the global population; (ii) the developmental goal of extending the
benefits of development equitably to all segments of global society; and (iii) the
decoupling goal of ensuring that the use of materials and generation of wastes is
within the regenerative and absorptive capacities of the planet.
II. Questionnaire
Member States are invited to provide contributions on experiences, success factors,
challenges and risks pertaining to the UNCSD objective ?Renewing Political
Commitment to Sustainable Development? in response to the following questions
which have been developed based on the discussions which took place at the first
Prepcom.
Experiences
1. Are there objective ways of measuring political commitment? What are the
relevant indicators? Which indicators are most useful from your perspective?
(e.g., New legislation enacted, Policy announcements, Budgetary allocation and
support, Prominence of relevant institutions, Level of media interest, etc.)
- New legislation;
- Elaboration and implementation of plans, strategies, programmes and projects
on SD;
- Budgetary allocation to SD;
- Establishment of dedicated institution at high level decision making;
- Level of media interest;
2. Based if possible on these indicators, how would you evaluate the national
government?s political commitment today to sustainable development compared
to 1992? How would you evaluate the political commitment of the international
community compared to 1992?
Progress has been made on SD, it remains lot of objectives to fulfil in regard to the
previous commitments. In fulfilling these objectives in Africa, the support of
developed countries and the international community is needed.
Success Factors
3. What actions have been introduced in your country to strengthen political support
for sustainable development?
4. Are there specific sectors or areas (e.g., water, energy, biodiversity, other) where
national political commitment to achieve sustainable development goals has been
especially strong? If so, what factors explain that commitment?
5. What examples or experiences from other areas demonstrate how political support
for critical issues was enhanced (e.g., MDGs, climate change)? How could they be
applied to SD?
Challenges
6. Looking forward to the next 10 years, what are your government?s highest
priorities for accelerating progress towards sustainable development?
7. How can international cooperation strengthen support for sustainable
development? What are your expectations for UNCSD in this regard?
The international support is important to fulfil SD, but national efforts are crucial. The
international support should be based on countries need assessment on financial,
technological and capacity building aspects.
In this regards, the international support should be in line with Paris Declaration on
Aid effectiveness.
Risks
8. Among your country?s senior national policy makers, would you say the
predominant view of the three pillars of sustainable development is that:
____there are difficult trade-offs among them? ____ they are strongly
complementary? Please briefly elaborate on your answer.
The three pillars are strongly complementary, but as our national development is
based on activities related to the exploitation of natural resources, the environmental
pillars is the very crucial one. The preservation of the environment and its resources is
a matter of economic and social development.
Attachment B
Questionnaire on
Assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of
the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development
I. Introduction
1. Agenda 21 (A21) is a comprehensive and detailed programme for sustainable
development, adopted by consensus at UNCED in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. JPOI was
adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg
in 2002. It builds upon A21 by concentrating attention on implementation, especially
by introducing additional ways of reducing fragmentation and integrating all three
dimensions of sustainable development into policy clusters, which in turn laid the
foundation for the subsequent programme of work of the CSD.
2. An important, and perhaps the core, framework for assessing progress is the
extent to which economic, social, and environmental goals (the ?three pillars? of
sustainable development) begin to converge. Indeed, the consistent message of
sustainable development is that these represent not three separate goals but a single
integrated one. The goal, and indeed the ultimate test, of sustainable development is
the convergence among the three trajectories of economic growth, social
development, and environmental protection. In this regard, UNCSD provides an
important opportunity to assess what has worked, and what has not.
3. Some information on trends is available from the history of national reporting
on sustainable development, including for the Commission on Sustainable
Development and in various Trends in Sustainable Development reports on the DSD
website1. On poverty and the social pillar in particular, information on MDG
indicators has been tracked since 1990 and has been described in detail in the
Secretary-General?s report for the high-level event on the MDGs to take place in
September 2010.
II. Questionnaire
Member States are invited to provide contributions on experiences, success factors,
challenges and risks pertaining to GA Resolution 64/236?s call for ?assessing the
progress to date and remaining gaps in implementation of the outcomes of the major
summits on sustainable development? in response to the following questions which
have been developed based on the discussions which took place at the first Prepcom.
Experiences
1. What indicators or information on sustainable development have proven to be
most useful for assessing gaps and progress towards sustainable development?
Please rank in order of importance 1 = most important. Please also attach or
provide a link to relevant statistical databases.
? 4 Economic Indicators (e.g., GDP growth, trade performance)
? 1 Comprehensive Indicators (e.g., HDI, MDGs)
? 3 Poverty Indicators (e.g., Headcount or other measure, please specify)
? 2 Environmental Indicators (e.g., ESI, Footprint, other, please specify)
? 5 Social Indicators (e.g., Unemployment, life expectancy)
? 6 Results of Public Opinion Surveys
? Other (please specify) _____________________________________
2. What indicators of integrated goals and strategies have been most useful? Please
rank in order of importance.
? Outcome indicators (e.g., correlation between indicators of economic, social,
and environmental change)
? Commitment indicators (e.g., fiscal or other support for integrated sustainable
development programmes)
? Institutional indicators (e.g., use of integrated strategies, establishment of
coordination mechanisms)
? Information-related indicators (e.g., development of analytical and assessment
tools, collection of data, investment in research)
? Other (please specify)
3. Based as far as possible on these indicators, please provide an assessment of the
progress made towards sustainable development over the past 18 years (1992-
2010), (a) at the level of your country (where applicable) and (b) globally. Please
attach any relevant technical studies or policy analyses. For each input, kindly
provide the original article or url, and enter a short abstract.
Success Factors
4. What factors explain progress in implementation? Please rank in order of
importance.
? use of integrated strategies
? generalized economic growth and prosperity
? investment in technical and institutional capacity
? financial support from international sources
? other; please specify: _________________________________________)
5. Has your government introduced integrated planning and decision making for
sustainable development? If so, under what title (NSDS, PRSP, Five Year Plan,
NCS or NEAP, other)? What are the lessons from this experience?
6. Are there examples of strong public-private partnerships for sustainable
development in your country? How have these been promoted?
7. Is the technical assistance from UN system entities a key factor in explaining
progress with sustainable development? If so, in what areas or sectors (e.g.,
MDGs, water, energy, health, Agriculture, biodiversity, forests, climate change,
jobs, other)?
Challenges
8. What are the major barriers to implementation? Please rank in order of importance
1 = most important.
? inadequate coordination between ministries
? low political priority for integrated decision making
? problems created by slow growth
? lack of data
? inadequate or unpredictable international support
? inadequate public awareness or engagement
? other; please specify: _____________________________________________
9. What steps need to be taken to address these barriers in an effort to bridge the
implementation gaps?
10. What are the main difficulties experienced in promoting integrated planning and
decision-making?
11. What further actions could be taken to promote effective voluntary actions and
partnerships?
Risks
12. What are the risks to sustained progress towards convergence among the 3 pillars
of sustainable development?
Attachment C
Questionnaire on
Addressing new and emerging challenges
I. Introduction
Although there is no such thing as a definitive list of ?new and emerging challenges?,
the following are widely agreed to be significant ones:
Climate change, as new evidence has emerged to suggest that the danger is a
more imminent one than previously thought
Rising water scarcity and increased desertification
The unfolding of the financial crisis in developed countries, and its global
transmission through financial markets as well as through global recession
Halting progress towards MDGs despite consistent political support
Food crisis, caused by the rapid escalation of food prices
Energy crisis, precipitated by the unprecedented volatility in energy prices
Other environmental trends that have worsened more rapidly than
anticipated, including concerns that some ?planetary boundaries? have been
exceeded, especially biodiversity
Degradation of marine ecosystems
Inefficient and wasteful patterns of consumption and production, and
A succession of disasters.
All countries face these challenges, but they differ widely in their ability to cope with
the risks and shocks inherent in them. Challenges have been exacerbated in
developing countries by poverty, competition for scarce resources, the rapid pace of
rural/urban migration, and the concomitant challenges to provide food, infrastructure
and access to basic health, water and energy services.
The sustainable development challenge posed by climate change illustrates well the
importance of a holistic response from the international community.
II. Questionnaire
Member States are invited to provide contributions and inputs on experiences, success
factors, challenges and risks pertaining to GA Resolution 64/236?s call for
?Addressing new and emerging challenges? in response to the following questions
which have been developed based on the discussions which took place at the first
Prepcom.
Experiences
1. What five new and emerging challenges are likely to affect most significantly
your country?s prospects for sustainable development in the coming decade?
Please rank in order of importance.
- Climate change,
- Energy crisis,
- Degradation of marine ecosystems and coastal erosion,
- Food crisis,
- Rising water scarcity and increased desertification.
2. What mechanisms have been put in place in your country to address these
challenges: At local level? At the national level?
- Development and implementation of NAPAs;
- Development and implementation of each strategy Nation implementation of
multilateral environmental agreements;
- Integrated Management Plan of the coast;
- Integration of CC into development planning;
- Establishment of marine protected areas;
- Reduce the impact of climate risks, economic, environmental and health, the
water control, diversification of production, training of rural people to improve
food security of the population, and achieve the goal of food sovereignty of
Senegal;
- Protecting the environment and sustainable management of natural resources,
including knowledge and the improvement of soil fertility;
- Establish a system of incentives for private investment in Agriculture and in rural
areas;
- Improving the environment and quality of production so that Agriculture is an
engine of industrial development and craft, and to better meet the needs of
domestic and foreign markets
3. In which of these areas has support from the international community been
forthcoming? In what areas is new or enhanced international support needed?
- Climate change;
- Food crisis;
4. What new and emerging challenges should be acted upon at UNCSD?
- Adverse impacts of climate change;Coastal erosion;
- Increasing water scarcity;
- Biodiversity and ecosystem loss;
- Desertification;
- Hazardous and electronic waste;
- Low resilience to natural disasters;
- Food crisis;
- The energy crisis;
- Rapid urban development;
- Migration and the global financial and economic crisis.
Success Factors
5. What factors explain the successful ability to address new and emerging
challenges?
? adequate financial resources
? strong government leadership
? investment in essential infrastructure
? dedicated government programmes
? literacy and awareness among the population
? effective communication systems
? availability of data and technical capacity
? speed and adequacy of international support
? leadership by international organizations
? south-south cooperation
? regional cooperation
What steps have been taken or are under consideration in your
country to enhance these success factors?
Challenges
6. How can the link between science, education, and policy be strengthened to
address the new and emerging challenges, especially those identified above?
7. How can international support be harnessed effectively to address these
challenges?
Risks
8. Do the new and emerging challenges pose a fundamental risk to the prospects of
economic growth and development of your country?
These new and emerging challenges are the main obstacles that hinder economic
growth and development.
9. How can the risks to the poor and other vulnerable populations be addressed?
Attachment D
Questionnaire on
Green economy in the context of sustainable development and
poverty eradication
I. Introduction
The concept of the green economy is one of the several closely related constructs that
have emerged in recent years to enhance convergence among the three pillars of
sustainable development. While the idea has an intrinsic appeal, questions have been
asked regarding conceptual clarity, precise definition, and implications for key social
and economic goals.
One specific question pertains to the difference between the ideal concept of a ?green
economy? and the near- to medium-term implications of the ?transition to a green
economy?.
In the literature, most treatments invoke the term in order to outline elements and
actions that should normally be described as ?greening of the economy?. The more
comprehensive of such treatments seek to unite under a single banner a broad suite of
economic policies that are relevant to achieving sustainable development.
The Prepcom also raised a number of questions regarding the impact of the ?transition
to a green economy? on other goals, notably macroeconomic outcomes (especially
income growth), trade competitiveness, protectionism, aid conditionality and poverty
and livelihoods. In addition, the delegates asked for sharing of experiences, success
factors, challenges, and risks in the practical application of some of the recommended
instruments.
II. Questionnaire
Member States are invited to provide contributions and inputs on experiences, success
factors, challenges and risks pertaining to the UNCSD theme ?Green economy in the
context of sustainable development and poverty eradication? in response to the
following questions which have been developed based on the discussions which took
place at the first Prepcom.
Experiences
1. Is there a consensus among policy makers in your country on the meaning of the
term ?green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty
eradication?? If so, how is it defined? [If relevant, please provide any official
publications or analytical studies on the concept of green economy or its
operational or social implications, together with a short abstract]
Il n?existe pour le moment aucune définition officielle du concept d?économie verte au
Sénégal.
English Translation:
In Senegal, there is currently no official definition of the term "green economy".
What are the main examples of green economy policies that are currently in
place in your country? (e.g., government expenditures on green infrastructure,
incentives for private investment in green sectors, subsidy reform, pricing of
pollution, public procurement, other)
Le Sénégal dispose d?un plan décennal sur les modes de production et de
consommation durables qui a servi d?instrument de verdissement de la stratégie de
réduction de la pauvreté. Cependant, l?application de ce plan a buté sur le manque de
moyens financiers notamment.
English Translation:
Senegal has a 10-year plan for sustainable production and consumption patterns that has helped to green the country's poverty reduction strategy. Implementation of this plan, however, has been hampered by lack of financial resources, among other constraints.
Which policies, or types of policy, do you consider to be most effective in
promoting a green economy and why?
Au cas où l?économie verte est acceptée par les États, elle devrait être un paradigme
transversal à tous les piliers du développement durable. Elle doit transparaître dans les
politiques nationale, locale, sous régionale et régionale de développement
économique et social.
English Translation:
If the green economy is to be accepted by all States, it must be a paradigm that cuts across all the pillars of sustainable development. It must be mainstreamed in national, local, subregional and regional economic and social development policies.
Are poverty and other possible social impacts explicitly considered in the
design of green economy policies? If so, how?
Pour le Sénégal, le principal critère qui devrait caractériser l?économie verte est son
impact positif direct sur l?éradication de la pauvreté, la protection de l?environnement
et des ressources naturelles dans un souci d?équité inter et intra générationnelle et le
respect de la souveraineté nationale en que qui concerne l?exploitation et l?utilisation
des ressources naturelles.
English Translation:
Senegal believes that a green economy should first and foremost have a direct positive impact on poverty eradication and the protection of the environment and natural resources, with a view to fostering inter- and intra-generational equity and respect for national sovereignty with regard to the exploitation and use of natural resources.
2. Are these policies being implemented as part of a coherent green economy, or
green growth, strategy?
Le plan décennal sur les modes de production et de consommation durables dégage
orientations qui peuvent être valorisées dans le cadre de politiques ou stratégies de
transition vers l?économie verte. A cet effet, il doit être réactualisé pour prendre en
compte les priorités du moment en matière de développement économique et social, y
compris l?éradication de la pauvreté.
English Translation:
The 10-year plan for sustainable production and consumption patterns sets out a number of policy directions and strategies for making the transition to a green economy. The plan needs to be updated to reflect current economic and social development priorities, including poverty eradication.
3. What are the main perceived benefits of implementing a national green economy
strategy?
Conformément aux recommandations issues de la conférence africaine préparatoire à
Rio+20, le Sénégal estime qu?une stratégie sur l?économie verte doit, entre autres,
permettre de :
- Renforcer le processus de mise en oeuvre du développement durable en
s?inscrivant dans les objectifs et orientations définis au niveau national;
- Contribuer à l?éradication de la pauvreté ;
- Renforcer la souveraineté des États dans l?exploitation et l?utilisation de leurs
ressources naturelles ;
- Contribuer à la lutte contre les changements climatiques à travers des
financements nouveaux et additionnels, le transfert de technologies et le
renforcement des capacités ;
- Améliorer les cadres institutionnels et stratégiques nationaux relatifs au
développement durable ;
- Renforcer le partenariat public privé, la coopération sud-sud et nord-sud dans le
domaine des investissements durables ;
- Créer des emplois nouveaux et des revenus consistants pour les populations ;
- Ouvrir le marché mondial aux produits africains en éliminant les barrières non
tarifaires ;
- Atténuer l?impact négatifs des activités économiques sur l?environnement et les
communautés humaines et améliorer leurs impacts positifs ;
- Renforcer les secteurs économiques pour lesquels les pays disposent
d?avantages comparatifs ;
- Renforcer les principes de Rio sur le développement durable, notamment le
principe de la responsabilité commune mais différentiée ;
- Promouvoir un transfert de technologies propres ; et
- Générer des investissements nouveaux dans le respect des lois et régalements
nationaux et les droits des populations locales.
English Translation:
In line with the recommendations issued within the framework of the Rio+20 Africa Regional Preparatory Process, Senegal believes that a green economy strategy must, inter alia:
- Strengthen implementation of sustainable development policies on the basis of objectives and strategies decided at the national level;
- Contribute to poverty eradication;
- Strengthen States' sovereignty in the exploitation and use of their natural resources;
- Contribute to combating climate change through new and additional funding, technology transfer and capacity-building;
- Improve national institutional and strategic frameworks for sustainable development;
- Strengthen public-private partnerships and South-South and North-South cooperation in sustainable investments;
- Create new jobs and a decent income for people;
- Improve access to the world market for African products by eliminating non-tariff barriers;
- Mitigate the negative impacts of economic activities on the environment and human communities and increase their positive impact;
- Strengthen economic sectors in which countries have comparative advantages;
- Strengthen the Rio principles on sustainable development, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities;
- Promote the transfer of clean technologies;
- Generate new investment in observance of national laws and regulations and the rights of local communities.
4. What economic sectors do you consider to be most important to building a green
economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication?
- Sustainable forest management,
- Mitigation of climate change;
- Waste management;
- Industrial development;
- Agriculture;
- Pollution mitigation;
- Land use;
- Renewable energy;
- Energy supply;
- Energy efficiency and sufficiency;
- Tourism;
- Transport;
Success Factors
5. What green economy policies would you rate to be most effective?
Les politiques d?incitation fiscale pour promouvoir les modes de production et de
consommation durables ; Les politiques de promotion de la Responsabilité sociétale
des Entreprises (RSE) pour améliorer leurs impacts sur l?environnement et la société.
English Translation:
Tax incentives that promote sustainable production and consumption patterns, and policies that promote corporate social responsibility, in order to improve corporations' impact on the environment and society.
6. How have those policies contributed to poverty eradication, other specific
sustainable development goals?
7. What in your view are the principal reasons for their success? (e.g., availability of
relevant institutional or technical capacity, strong political support, broad
engagement of business and civil society, international support, other)
8. What steps and actions have proven effective in building political and popular
ownership for green economy measures?
Challenges
9. Are there studies for your country that identify success factors, challenges or risks
associated with green economy policies identified under Question 1? For each,
kindly provide the original article or web link, and a short abstract.
NO
10. Based on all of the above, what is (are) the key outcome(s) you think could
emerge from the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 with
respect to a ?green economy in the context of sustainable development and
poverty eradication??
- A consensus definition of green economy with regard to the specific views of
African countries;
- A plan of action with sufficient financial and technical support for assisting
African countries and others developing countries in their efforts toward a
green economy.
Risks
11. What is the relationship of green economy policies to other policies and policy
domains (e.g., poverty, growth, employment, trade, etc.)? Are there cases of
conflict and, if so, how have these been addressed?
Attachment E
Questionnaire on
Institutional framework for sustainable development
I. Introduction
Institutional support for sustainable development works horizontally across different
domains, agencies, ministries, functional groups, and countries, while the traditional
organization of authority and action is vertical, precisely along the lines of the same
agencies and ministries and other specialities. So, the challenge is to identify
institutional elements that can facilitate integration, on a continued basis, across
existing lines of authority and programme structures, without undermining or
displacing them.
At the international level, UNCED led to the establishment of three main institutional
structures to pursue sustainable development, namely the Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD) for political leadership, the Inter-Agency Coordination on
Sustainable Development (IACSD) for coordination within the UN system, and the
High Level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development (HLB) for intellectual
guidance. CSD remains the principal policy making institution on sustainable
development within the UN system, but the other two structures were discontinued.
Since Rio, many UN bodies and international organizations have aligned their work
with the principles of sustainable development, which is referred to in the 2005 World
Summit Outcome (GA Resolution A/RES/06/1) as ?a key element of the overarching
framework of United Nations activities?.
At national levels, early innovations include national sustainable development
councils (NSDC), and integrated strategies. The experience with NSDCs needs to be
assessed to identify lessons of success as well as failure. The process of developing
integrated strategies has taken root, including in the form of national sustainable
development strategies (NSDS), but there is a need to review this experience to assess
how best the goal of integration can be advanced, and in particular whether the
existence of several competing strategy processes (e.g., PRSP, development plan,
national conservation strategy) can undermine the very goal of integration.
At local levels, Local Agendas 21 were developed by local institutions and urban
municipalities, and again there is a need to draw lessons from this experience.
II. Questionnaire
Member States are invited to provide contributions and inputs on experiences, success
factors, challenges and risks pertaining to the UNCSD theme ?Institutional framework
for sustainable development? in response to the following questions which have been
developed based on the discussions which took place at the first Prepcom.
Experiences
1. Various changes in the global institutional framework for sustainable development
have been discussed. In your experience, what is the importance of the following
avenues for reform?
? 1 Strengthen existing institutions
? Merge institutions
? 3 Improve coordination among existing institutions
? Establish new institutions
? 2 Change mandate(s) of institution(s)
? Streamline institutions
Kindly explain your choices, indicating what concrete measures could be
considered in this regard.
We support the efforts to reform the ECOSOC and the CSD in order to enhance their
capabilities to help countries achieve sustainable development, and we emphasize the
importance to increase synergies, coherence, and coordination within the UN System
and international financial institutions, as well as, between the Rio conventions with
respect to their individual mandates, to support developing countries to achieve SD at
the national level.
2. How can the institutional framework ensure effective synergies between the CSD
and other existing inter-governmental instruments and processes, including
different multilateral agreements, UN programmes and funds, and regional
processes?
3. How can the institutional framework ensure effective coordination and synergies
among different agencies and organizations responsible for aspects of sustainable
development?
4. Does your country have an active national sustainable development council
(NSDC) (or equivalent)? Yes/No Do you think an active NSDC could facilitate
your country?s preparations for UNCSD? If so, how?
Senegal has established an NSDC in 1995. The NSDS is fully operational but face
some problem like luck of financial support and capacity building of its members.
Nevertheless, the NSDC will be supported by UNDP in the preparation of Rio+20.
The preparatory process will be based on some activities such as:
- Training workshop on green economy and sustainable development governance;
- Multi-stakeholders consultative meeting on the main topics of Rio+20;
- Preparation of a national report for Rio+20.
5. Please provide the name and e-mail contact of the focal point for your country?s
NSDC. __________________________________________________________
Name: Baba DRAME
E-mail: bababadrame@gmail.com
6. What role has sub-national and local government in your country played in
implementing sustainable development since Rio?
It is established in Senegal sub-national bodies to deals with issues related to SD at
this level. These bodies are named Regional Commission on SD. These bodies meet
regularly in order to provide inputs in the national preparatory process.
7. Since the UNCED (Rio) in 1992, has the participation of major groups and other
relevant stakeholders in national decision-making processes on sustainable
development significantly increased? Yes/No Please indicate which of the
following forms of engagement of major groups in decision making are
commonly used in your country (ranking in order of importance with 1 = most
important):
? 1 participation in policy development
? public hearings
? 4 partnerships
? 2 scientific panels
? 3 inclusion in international delegations
? 5 multi-stakeholder consultations for international meetings
8. Name the major groups with which your government has had the closest
collaboration? For each, briefly describe the main features of the collaboration.
- NGOs: members of the NCSD: technical, scientific and financial support;
- Local governments: participation in decision making; implementation and
follow up of decisions at local level;
- Young: information and awareness;
- Women: defend gender concern in decision making;
- Syndicates: defend workers interest in decision making;
- Private sector:
Success Factors
9. Are there examples, whether in the sustainable development domain or in related
policy domains (e.g., MDGs, other), where an effective institutional framework
has contributed to significant positive outcomes at national level? international
level?
10. How can the lessons from such successes be used to enhance the effectiveness of
the institutional framework for sustainable development? Are the lessons relevant
to the Commission on Sustainable Development?
11. How can the lessons from such successes be used to enhance the effectiveness of
international environmental governance/policy guidance?
12. What in your experience have been the most effective means of strengthening
major group and other relevant stakeholders? participation in national sustainable
development efforts?
Challenges
13. What are the most significant challenges facing international institutions charged
with promoting sustainable development?
The most significant challenge is the implementation of decisions taken. This
challenge concern mainly the UNCSD. The second challenge is related to the
participation of developing countries in the activities of the UNCSD due to the lack of
financial support for delegate from developing countries. It?s why the UNCSD
activities are mainly followed by counties Diplomatic representation at UN and not by
experts in charge of the implementation of SD at national level.
14. What are the most significant challenges facing national institutions charged with
promoting sustainable development in your country?
- Lack of financial support;
- Low capacity of experts on sustainable development;
- Political support;
-
Risks
15. What decisions should UNCSD aim to reach on the institutional framework for
sustainable development? What are the main risks threatening a successful
UNCSD outcome on the institutional framework?
-The IFSD should be based on chapter 11 of JPOI, on the provision of chapter 38 of
Agenda 21, the programme for further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the
principles of the Rio Declaration, in particular the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities. Furthermore, IFSD should promote the achievement of
internationally agreed sustainable goal, including MDGs, taking into account the
Monterrey Consensus and the needs of developing countries;
- The reinvigoration of the National Council for SD to able them to better coordinate,
consolidate and ensure the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues in the highest
decision making bodies;
the need to strengthen, consolidate and transform the UNEP into and international
specialized institution for the environment based in Nairobi, Kenya;
-The reaffirmation of NEPAD as the African regional framework for SD;
The balanced integration between the three pillars of SD, and should not put any
additional burden on developing countries or obstacles for their development
prospects;
Contact Information of Focal Point/Respondent:
Country: SENEGAL
Name (optional): Baba DRAME
e-mail (optional): babadrame@gmail.com
Title: Conseiller technique chargé du Développement durable, Point focal DD
English Translation
Sustainable Development Technical Adviser, Sustainable Development Focal Point
Affiliated ministry/organization: Ministère de l?environnement et de la Protection
de la Nature/ Direction de l?Environnement.
English Translation
Ministry of the Environment and of the Protection of Nature/ Environmental Division
Other ministries/organizations consulted in preparation of questionnaire:
Other stakeholders consulted in the preparation of questionnaire: