EU Statement - United Nations 2nd Committee: IPM of CSD 19 Multistakeholder Dialogue II

Mr Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of EU and its 27 Member States.

We are pleased to participate in this important exchange of views with stakeholders on the contribution of CSD 19 to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. We would like to express our appreciation for the inspiring and challenging presentations we have heard from the two panellists this morning.

CSD 19 takes place 20 years after sustainable development was recognized at the Earth Summit as one of the most important challenges of our time. Since then, progress has been made in the three pillars of sustainable development. However, more needs to be done, especially in the field of environmental protection. The CSD is an important forum for the major policy debates on implementation and the further advancement of the practical implementation of the commitments undertaken in Rio and in Johannesburg.

For the UNCSD next year we have chosen two major themes, which we hope will help us to accelerate progress of the implementation of existing commitments on each of the three pillars of sustainable development, and towards the convergence among them.

Mr Chair,

The themes chosen for CSD 19 have a very clear and distinct relationship to each of the major themes of UNCSD and will - if our work in CSD 19 is successful - be a major input into both the main substantive themes of the conference. At CSD 19 we have a unique opportunity to achieve a major breakthrough in terms of policy coherence and accelerated implementation of sustainable development. Outcomes on all the main themes of CSD 19, but in particular the establishment of a 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Production and Consumption Patterns, will require substantial follow-up to ensure proper implementation. Our stakeholder dialogues over the last years have contributed to making CSD more forward-looking and action oriented. In order to keep on this path we must ensure that decisions taken by the Commission are implemented in their true spirit by all stakeholders.

Out of the discussion on the main themes of CSD this year should emerge clear calls for action, as well as a set of activities and action that all stakeholders should be able to contribute to. But success will depend on the extent to which different implementing partners will engage in the implementation of the agreed decisions. This year's decisions will take on a particular importance in view of the substantive work that we still have to do on the preparation of UNCSD.

Enhancing the linkages and building partnerships between government agencies, the private sector, civil society, research community, international and regional institutions, local communities as well as the UN system, and promoting a fast-track strategy for the scaling up of successful practices will prove to be of particular importance.

Thank you for your attention.

| Arriba |

• EU Statement - United Nations 2nd Committee: IPM of CSD 19 Multistakeholder Dialogue I (4/3/2011)
• EU Statement - United Nations 2nd Committee: IPM of CSD 19 closing session (4/3/2011)
• EU Statement - United Nations 2nd Committee: IPM on CSD 19 - Sustainable Production and Consumption (3/3/2011)
• EU Statement - United Nations 2nd Committee: IPM of CSD 19 - Chemicals (1/3/2011)
• EU Statement - United Nations 2nd Committee: IPM of CSD 19 opening session (28/2/2011)