15 February 2011: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held an organizational meeting on 15 February 2011, during which UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang said the coming year presents an opportunity to shape the issue of sustainable development within the UN development agenda for the decade ahead.

USG Sha said this year “marks an important window of opportunity for ECOSOC to reinvigorate political commitment to global sustainable development.” He also noted the two themes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20): a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and an institutional framework for sustainable development. Although there has been some concern about the feasibility of a “green” transition, he said, experience showed that when managed properly, such shifts could advance development goals. [DPI Meeting Summary]