The Global Network of National Councils for Sustainable Development was launched in April 2012, with support from the Government of Finland, and recently began operating in the form of a website for member NCSDs.
Now in an operational phase supported by GIZ, the Network's activities are expected to include providing various tools to explore collective interest in the follow-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
October 2012: The Stakeholder Forum has announced the launch of a new project in partnership with the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) to develop a Global Network of National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs).
The project aims to strengthen NCSDs and support them in engendering sustainable development at the domestic level. The network is open to multi-stakeholder bodies set up by Governments as NCSDs, or other government related bodies working on issues of sustainable development.
The Network was launched in April 2012, with support from the Government of Finland, and recently began operating in the form of a website for member NCSDs (www.ncsds.org). The Network’s activities during the initial phase are expected to include: expanding the website, allowing Councils to share information; gathering papers on recent activities and national sustainable development policies; and providing other tools to explore collective interest in the follow-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
The Forum continues to seek funding to further advance the Network over the next three years, as countries plan their follow-up to Rio+20 and the updating of their sustainable development strategies. According to an agreement reached at a meeting on the Rio+20 sidelines in June 2012, the Network will continue to be managed as a Stakeholder Forum project for a trial period of three years.
The project is also supported by the German International Development Agency (GIZ). [Website of NCSDs] [IISD RS Sources]