21 October 2010: A meeting of the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (GSP) at the “Sherpa” level convened in New York, US, on 20-21 October 2010, to discuss implementing the vision of the Panel, as articulated at its first meeting (GSP1), held on 19 September 2010.

According to the report of the meeting, the Sherpas distinguished the Panel’s work from ongoing intergovernmental negotiations, noting that the Panel “should focus on the long term strategy and implementation of the needed paradigm shift,” “be bold and practical,” and “rise above national positions.” Participants agreed that the Panel would attempt to address the lack of implementation in sustainable development and formulate a new action-oriented approach to people-centred sustainable development, starting with linkages between global and local policy and between the three pillars of sustainable development. Special focus areas for the Panel were suggested to include: the most vulnerable populations; governance and management of global public goods; incentives and market signals; water access and pricing; and the financing needs for implementation, building on progress in financing for climate change (e.g. through the High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF)).

Participants said the Panel’s Final Report should make the case against the dichotomy of “development vs. environment” and include a roadmap or toolkit for action. Other deliverables could include an overall guiding framework for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) post-2015, a new index for sustainable development, and a national framework for green accounts.

Participants established three cross-cutting working groups to report back to the GSP’s second meeting (GSP2). The three groups are: poverty eradication, social inclusion and decent jobs; paradigm shift needed to address global challenges; and the use of market tools and investments. They also noted that the Panel should engage a wide range of stakeholders, especially regarding the Panel’s report before the UNCSD (Rio+20).

According to the report, GSP2 may be held either in January or February 2011 in South Africa, or on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in late January. Further GSP meetings are anticipated in Finland in May, in New York in September, and in October/November 2011 to approve the Panel’s report. [The Report] [Report of GSP1]