Following the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) and the UN Secretary-General's report on Options for a facilitation mechanism that promotes the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies (A/67/348), the UN General Assembly (UNGA) decided to hold four one-day workshops on the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies and the connection between clean and environmentally sound technologies and sustainable development. Discussions and recommendations from the workshops will feed into the UN Secretary-General's report to be submitted for consideration by the UNGA at its 68th session. The two first workshops, to be held back-to-back on 30 April and 1 May 2013, will identify technology needs of countries in the areas of research, development, demonstration and diffusion and options to address them. The first workshop will focus specifically on Science and research and development (R&D) capabilities. The second one will focus on “Moving from R&D to widespread adoption of environmentally sound technologies”. The concept note is available on the meeting webpage: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=419&menu=1026  

dates: 30 April – 1 May 2013   venue: UN Headquarters   location: New York, US   contact: UN Division for Sustainable Development   phone: +1-212-963-8102   fax: +1-212-963-4260   e-mail: dsd@un.org   www: http://www.un.org/en/ga/president/67/letters/pdf/Workshops%20-%20Development%20countries%20-%2023%20April%202013.pdf