20 September 2013: After 20 years of work, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) held its 20th and final session, and is being replaced by the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

CSD 20 convened on 20 September 2013, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. The session opened with statements by Chair Bektas Mukhamedzhanov (Kazakhstan), Noel Sinclair, on behalf of John Ashe, President of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo, and Joao Felipe Scarpelini, on behalf of the nine Major Groups.

Delegates then participated in a high-level dialogue on lessons learned from the CSD, with speakers highlighting the achievements and weakness of the Commission, and looking forward to the future. Finally, Chair Mukhamedzhanov recognized this as a time of remembrance and celebration of the legacy of the Commission. He thanked everyone who took a leadership role in moving the sustainable development agenda forward, and said “may the legacy of CSD resonate in time and through history so that future generations may understand how the past has shaped the world they inherit.”

The HLPF will hold its inaugural session on 24 September 2013. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [Meeting Summary] [UN Press Release]