December 2011: At its 18th meeting, the Bureau of the Preparatory Process for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) discussed the organization of work for the Second Intersessional Meeting, the change of Conference dates and possible changes to the negotiating schedule. It also held a dialogue with the African Development Bank (AfDB). The minutes of the meeting, held on 8 November 2011, in New York, US, were recently released by the UNCSD Secretariat.

On the organization of work for Intersessional II, the Bureau agreed to issue a guidance note on the options for a format and structure of the zero draft of the UNCSD Outcome Document, which would be a main topic of discussion at the Intersessional meeting. The Bureau discussed whether to use a side event for briefings on the regional PrepComs, or to include their presentations during the opening session. The Bureau also decided not to produce hard copies of the Compilation Document (which will form the basis of zero draft) but to make it available only online.

On the change of Conference dates, the Bureau welcomed the President of Brazil’s proposal to hold the third session of the UNCSD Preparatory Committee (PrepCom III) from 13-15 June 2012, followed by the originally planned four thematic days, and then the Conference itself from 20-22 June 2011.

The Bureau also discussed the possible need to add a negotiating session in May/June 2012, and agreed to revisit the question in March/April, based on the status of negotiations. The Co-Chairs would request that the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Second Committee leave open its agenda item on sustainable development, in order to address this change in schedule along with potential “other procedural matters.” The Bureau also would ask the UN Department of GA and Conference Management (DGACM) to look into possible dates for an additional session.

The Bureau also reached tentative agreement that the Co-Chairs would designate two Bureau members to facilitate consultations among States to finalize the draft Rules of Procedure for the Conference.

During the dialogue with the AfDB, Aly Abou-Sabaa, Chairman of the AfDB Climate Change Coordination Committee said the Bank was working on action plans for sectors that feed into the Rio+20 process, including agriculture, energy, water and transport, within the context of climate change. He said a strong statement from the Conference regarding the importance of financial resources for Africa’s sustainable development will be highly desirable. He also highlighted the Bank’s interest in partnerships with the private sector, in order for Africa to move toward a low-carbon economy.

The 19th meeting of the Bureau took place on 14 December 2011, immediately before the Second Intersessional Meeting, and the 20th meeting is scheduled for 22 December. [Minutes of 18th Bureau Meeting]