September 2004: The first meeting of the Bureau of the thirteenth session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-13) convened on 30 September 2004 in New York.

Among the issues discussed was the session’s organization of work, with Bureau members agreeing that the Commission should focus on deliverables and mobilize further concrete and tangible action to expedite implementation, and that it should not seek to redefine problems or challenges. The Bureau discussed the unfortunate scheduling conflict of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council (11-15 April 2005) and CSD-13 (11-22 April 2005), particularly in light of the fact that the current CSD cycle is focusing on water, sanitation and human settlements. In response, the Bureau decided to make arrangements for the Governing Council to report on the outcomes of its meeting as an input to discussions at CSD-13 and scheduled the High-level Segment of CSD-13 for 20-22 April 2005. It was noted that the Secretary-General’s reports for CSD-13 are scheduled to be posted on the CSD-13 website before the end of December 2004.

During a briefing session on 5 October, CSD-13 Chair John Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda) highlighted the importance of bringing Ministers of Finance on board in order for them to understand the implications of their policies. He informed delegates that the Bureau had discussed some ideas to engage their participation. The Bureau will be holding four more meetings in: early November, December, end of January 2005, and February 2005.
[CSD-13 website] [Notes of the first Bureau meeting] [ENB’s Briefing Note on the 5 October briefing]