February 2003: CSD-11 Chair, South African Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Mohammed Valli Moosa, convened informal consultations in preparation for CSD-11 on 24-25 February 2003, at UN headquarters in New York.

The purpose of the meeting was to hear initial views of delegations on the scope and nature of the future programme of work of the CSD and, in particular, to allow for informal discussions on the Report of the Secretary General (E/CN.17/2003/3) and the proposed organization of work for CSD-11, as outlined in an introductory note from the Chair.

Chair Moosa noted that since his election as Chair of CSD-11, he had held several ad-hoc informal discussions and the overwhelming consensus was for CSD to operate in a substantially new way, moving beyond a “business as usual” approach. Highlighting the importance of CSD-11 as the first session since the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), Moosa said that this session would either “succeed or fail” to set the tone for the CSD’s work for the coming decade.

Anne Kerr, UN Division of Sustainable Development, briefly introduced the Report of the Secretary-General emphasizing: the need to integrate the WSSD’s outcomes with other UN summits and conferences; the two-year multi-cycle of work; global and regional implementation forums; options for the identification of issues for future CSD sessions; partnerships; and enhancing the role of international organizations and major groups in the work of the CSD.

Delegates commented on a variety of proposals, including when and how often the high-level segment should convene, options for the selection of thematic issues for the CSD, the identification of themes for the CSD’s future work, partnerships, the role of major groups in the CSD, and UN system coordination and coherence.
In his concluding remarks, Chair Moosa welcomed the valuable contributions made by delegations and noted that the Bureau would consider these options and attempt to incorporate them into a revised organization of work for CSD-11. He urged delegations to consult with capitals on the outcomes of the informal consultations and the Secretary-General’s report, and emphasized the need for appropriate ministerial representation during CSD-11.
For a full summary of statements and proceedings, see the Earth Negotiations Bulletin Briefing Note: http://enb.iisd.org/linkages/csd/csd11/CSD-11_informals_report.html