15 July 2011: The latest issue of “Rio+20: Making It Happen,” the newsletter from the Secretariat of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), highlights: the special policy dialogue on “Education for Sustainable Development” that took place during the recent High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); a meeting between the UNCSD Bureau and ECESA Plus; and several documents recently released or under production.

The policy dialogue was held as part of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). In addition, the Ministerial Declaration adopted at ECOSOC emphasized that education and sustainable development are interlinked and mutually reinforcing, and stressed the need to recognize the important role of education for sustainable development and its contribution to the UNCSD.

Also during the High-level Segment, the newsletter notes, the UNCSD Bureau met with the Principals of ECESA Plus (the Executive Committee of Economic and Social Affairs (ECESA), plus the UN Development Group (UNDG) and Environment Management Group (EMG)), on 7 July 2011, to exchange views on outcomes of the UNCSD. Participants said the UNCSD needs to be “people-centered” and that its outcomes should make a real difference in people’s livelihoods.

Finally, this issue highlights several documents, including a brief prepared by the UNCSD Secretariat analyzing existing peer review mechanisms of UN institutions, and how their experiences could contribute to the UNCSD. The brief was released in preparation for the meeting on the institutional framework for sustainable development convening this month in Indonesia. Other documents featured in the newsletter are: an article by Nikhil Chandavarkar of the UNCSD Secretariat on measuring sustainable development; input from the European Commission’s public consultation on the UNCSD; and a report based on the survey, currently being conducted by UN Women, on “Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment in a Green Economy.” [Publication: Rio+20: Making it Happen, Vol. 2, Issue 13]