General Assembly - UN Documents

A/CONF.216/PC/2
This report is submitted to support the first session of the Preparatory
Committee for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,
authorized by the General Assembly in its resolution 64/236. In accordance with that
resolution, the report provides an assessment of the progress and gaps in
implementation of sustainable development decisions since 1992, as well as a review
of the two themes of the Conference, namely the green economy in the context of
sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for
sustainable development.
The assessment of progress is based on four mutually complementary
yardsticks:
(a) Separate. Some progress has occurred in each of the three dimensions —
economic development, environmental protection and social development — but
there are important gaps;
(b) Joint. There is evidence of progress towards convergence between the
economic and social pillars, but evidence of convergence between those pillars and
the environmental pillar is far more limited and the overall picture is one of
divergence; progress to date is also threatened by the series of crises that affected the
global economy starting in 2008;
(c) Commitments. There are indications of progress on the fulfilment of some
of the commitments made by Governments and other stakeholders at major global
summits, including integrated policy and strategy development, institutional
development and international cooperation in financing, technology transfer and
capacity-building; however, many commitments have not been actualized in practice,
and there is evidence of fragmentation of policies and actions;
(d) Contextual. Situating recent trends within the longer term context, the
emerging crises have imbued a sense of urgency to environmental and developmental
objectives.
The analysis of the two themes of the Conference is based on the existing
literature and on the contributions of Member States, major groups and United
Nations entities.
The green economy approach is an attempt to unite under one banner a broad
suite of economic instruments relevant to sustainable development. The report sets
out the history of the concept, the contributions and conceptual frameworks of
various organizations, and a set of questions on which further work is needed,
especially in order to make the approach relevant to sustainable development and
poverty eradication.
The report also provides a broad picture of the institutions for sustainable
development that have been established so far, with a special focus on the
Commission on Sustainable Development and the United Nations Environment
Programme in the context of the international environmental governance process. It
identifies the key functions that need to be kept in mind when considering alternative
proposals for the strengthening, support and reform of existing institutions or the
creation of new ones.
2
10-30256