1 February 2010: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Division for Sustainable Development (DSD), convened a Multistakeholder Dialogue on Implementing Sustainable Development on 1 February 2010, at UN Headquarters in New York, US.

Participants, including the former and current Chairs of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and representatives from financial institutions, foundations, the Major Groups, partnerships and member States, discussed how best to improve the efficacy and reach of the policy decisions negotiated bi-annually by the Commission, and how to increase synergies among all stakeholders. The meeting focused on the CSD 17 themes – 278 decisions relevant to agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and sustainable development in Africa – but its prescriptions were also meant to hasten implementation related to other sustainable development priorities and issues. Tariq Banuri, DSD Director, pointed out that the meeting was timely for informing ongoing responses to the global financial meltdown, the food crisis and the climate crisis. The meeting developed a Seven Point Strategy, which seeks to fast-track implementation of CSD decisions. The Strategy calls for the use of new modalities, as well as the scaling-up of successful practices, like partnerships.

In his opening remarks to the Dialogue, Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, noted that, since CSD 17 convened in May 2009, “we have seen an alarming rise in global food insecurity and hunger deteriorating. Smallholder farmers, especially in Africa, are encountering increasing difficulties as a result of drought and desertification and loss of arable land and water resources. All this is happening in the broader setting of the global financial and economic crisis, and climate change.” He said that DESA “is committed to facilitating the implementation process by ensuring that CSD decisions are communicated to all stakeholders in a timely manner, and by fostering a more coordinated, coherent and consultative approach both within the UN system, and with stakeholders.” [Dialogue website] [Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang’s statement]