8 March 2013: Participants in the “Expert Consultation on Knowledge and Capacity Needs for Sustainable Development in Post Rio+20 Era” adopted a Framework for Action on “Bridging Knowledge and Capacity Gaps for Sustainability Transition.”

The consultation was organized by the UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) in partnership with the Asia-Europe Foundation, the Korea Environment Institute and the UN Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), and took place in Incheon, Republic of Korea, from 6-8 March 2013.

Asserting that knowledge sharing and capacity building should be the fundamental platform for the range of efforts towards sustainability, the Framework for Action identifies eight areas for priority action. The priority action areas pertain to, inter alia: inclusion of sustainable development knowledge and capacity building in formal planning processes; capacity building for organizations and institutions as opposed to individuals, for longer-term impact; revitalization of national sustainable development councils and roundtables; updated mapping of initiatives and programs, and cataloguing and disseminating the most successful working methods; language for communicating about knowledge sharing and capacity building across different cultures, disciplines, and institutions; and an integrated approach to addressing the core sustainability challenges of climate change adaptation and mitigation, water management, food security, and sustainable energy in anticipation of the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Framework for Action recommends that UNOSD “collaborate with other knowledge providers, and both promote and facilitate the linking and sharing of data and knowledge through open networks, avoiding the duplication of existing initiatives.”

The Framework for Action is issued in the context of UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) outcome document, paragraph 66, in the section on Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication . Participants asked UNOSD to submit the Framework for Action to the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development upon its establishment, the Open Working Group (OWG) on the SDGs, the Expert Committee on a Sustainable Development Financing Strategy, and other appropriate fora. [Framework for Action] [UNOSD Workshop Webpage]