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CSD-18 Guidelines for Participation

4. Major Groups' Participation in CSD-18

The CSD has traditionally provided a lively forum for interaction among government officials, major groups and international organizations, infusing the CSD inter-governmental process with new ideas. Major groups’ representatives in the CSD process have participated in multi-stakeholder dialogues, interactive discussions, roundtables and panels. They have developed coordinated positions, launched several multi-stakeholder partnerships, organized dozens of side events to share experiences, successfully lobbied for particular initiatives that they felt the CSD should undertake or support, and agreed on joint implementation initiatives. In recent years, major groups have been increasingly accepted within the official intergovernmental process as respected and essential partners in sustainable development, and their presence is now more integrated into the official sessions than ever before. The unique and innovative participatory traditions of the CSD have been widely acknowledged and are fully supported by the CSD. The CSD Bureau and the Secretariat continue to explore new ways to enhance major groups’ participation in the CSD process.

4.1 Accreditation and Pre-registration

Accreditation

Non-governmental participation in the CSD is subject to the rules of participation of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). These rules require that the non-governmental participants represent an NGO in consultative status with ECOSOC. Major groups’ organizations that are in consultative status with ECOSOC, including those on the CSD Roster, can send representatives to CSD-18. Major groups’ organizations who were accredited to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) will be required to obtain consultative status with ECOSOC in order to participate in CSD meetings. ECOSOC rules do not permit participation of representatives from organizations that are not in consultative status.

If you are unsure of your organization’s accreditation status, you can check with the following sources:

You can also:

  • Contact the NGO Branch
    One UN Plaza, Room DC1-1480 New York, NY 10017
    Tel: (1-212) 963-8652 Fax: (1-212) 963-9248
    E-mail: ngobranch@un.org
    The NGO Branch maintains up-to-date lists of accredited organizations, including those that have recently been granted consultative status but have not yet been added to the lists available on the Internet
  • Contact the Major Groups Programme at the CSD Secretariat. E-mail
Pre-registration

Pre-registration is managed through an online system. The CSO Net will allow you to log in and manage your organization's pre-registration request through the Internet, including adding or changing names of representatives and printing confirmation letters.

The confirmation letter and a photo ID will need to be shown at the registration desk when your representative arrives at UN Headquarters for the CSD-18 meeting. Details on the location and schedule for the registration desk will be posted on this page once available. Please make sure that your organization has the necessary consultative status BEFORE sending representatives to New York or making travel arrangements for them.

Representatives requiring a visa to enter the United States are advised to apply as early as possible in case any time is needed for special clearances by the US authorities, and ensure that the visa is received in time for travel.

Past practice shows that when applying for US visa, it is recommended that NGO representatives bring to their appointment with the US Consulate or Embassy a copy of the UN confirmation letter and a letter prepared by their own NGO. The NGO letter should include detailed information on the visa applicant (e.g. position, number of years working for the NGO, and number of applicants that the NGO is sending to CSD, if applicable).

NGO representatives who have existing working relations with the US Mission in their respective country may try and contact their counterpart(s) and obtain a referral letter to be presented at the time of the interview with the Consular Section (note that the referring officer has no role in the visa decision process).

Read more Frequently Asked Questions on this topic.

4.2 Major Groups’ Involvement in Official Sessions

Structure and Modes of Participation

Participation of major groups in the official CSD-18 session will be integrated throughout the various activities, consistent with the practice of recent CSD meetings. The following “entry points” for major groups will be recommended to the CSD-18 Bureau for its consideration:

  • Opening statements: Major groups will be included in the list of speakers of the general debate.
  • Interactive discussion with major groups: specific formats will be considered by the CSD-18 Bureau.
  • Thematic discussions on implementation: As per past practice, it is envisioned that major groups will be integrated in all sessions pertaining to the review exercise, which will include discussions on the five themes of transport, chemicals, waste management, mining, and the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns; regional discussions, and a segment addressing SIDS that will serve as the Preparatory Committee for the upcoming High-Level Review session in September 2010. Major groups could be called upon during such discussions to make comments on presentations, pose questions, participate in panels, and serve as resource persons. Furthermore, major groups’ experts and practitioners who are active and knowledgeable in the thematic areas may be invited to share their experiences and lessons learned.
  • High-level segment: At least one segment should be allocated to an interactive dialogue on the state of implementation within the five thematic areas between Ministers and high-level representatives of major groups.
  • Closing session: Overall comments by all major groups on the outcome of the Review Session may be invited during the closing Plenary.
Outcome

Interactive discussions with major groups will be captured in the Chairman’s summary, which will identify constraints and obstacles and possible approaches and best practices for the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the Mauritius Strategy for the sustainable development of SIDS. The Chair’s summary will inform policy discussions in the policy year leading up to CSD-19 in 2011.

4.3 Meeting with the CSD-18 Bureau and Major Groups

It is customary for the CSD Chair and other members of the Bureau to meet with major groups’ representatives in the course of the preparatory process and during the CSD Session. Information on the exact time and venue will be disseminated through our list server and posted on our website as it becomes available. As per past practice, a Co-chair will be designated to serve as a contact person for the major groups during the CSD-18 session.

4.4 Major Groups’ Organizing Partners

The preparation of multi-stakeholder participation within the CSD is itself a multi-stakeholder process. Key major group networks are invited by the CSD Bureau to form a facilitating group called “organising partners”, which coordinates preparations and assists the Secretariat in generating and guiding the engagement of stakeholders for each major groups sector. The Secretariat chairs the facilitating group and supports its work throughout the preparatory process and the CSD session.

The organizations serving as Organizing Partners are facilitators working through and with large global constituencies. They are accountable to their constituents, to the CSD Bureau and to the CSD Secretariat.

The criteria for eligibility include:
  • Organizations with expert knowledge and competency on the CSD cycle’s cluster of issues
  • Organizations that have demonstrated over time their competence and commitment to work in collaboration with the CSD Bureau and the Secretariat
  • Organizations that are recognized and well respected in their communities and by other organizations in the same sector, and have contacts reaching into different branches of their respective sectors
  • Organizations that have a global or regional geographical scope and membership
  • Organizations with representative structures and appropriate mechanisms of accountability to members
  • Organizations with a solid understanding of intergovernmental decision-making processes, and in particular of the CSD process
  • Organizations with a knowledge of respective regional players and regional groupings
  • Organizations with a commitment to remain engaged throughout the two-year CSD implementation cycle
  • Organizations that have the organizational means and time to perform the required tasks and responsibilities, including participation in CSD meetings in New York
  • Organizations that have members who shall exercise effective control over its policies and actions through the exercise of voting rights or other appropriate democratic and transparent decision-making processes
  • Organizations that are preferably in consultative status with ECOSOC or are on the CSD Roster (although this is not a mandatory requirement).

The major groups organizing partners’ main responsibilities include:

  • Consult with networks to prepare written inputs in the form of discussion papers and priorities for action papers addressing the specific themes of each CSD implementation cycle—including the cross-sectoral themes—that reflect their group’s views on progress made, outline obstacles and constraints to implementation, and identify new challenges to be met by major groups to expedite implementation.
  • Organize manage and disseminate data and information on major groups and the given CSD cycle
  • Consult with networks to identify participants to serve on their sector’s delegation
  • Provide and develop logistics and process understanding so the major groups will be able to maximise their presence at CSD in accordance with the UN and CSD engagement practices and procedures
  • Provide guidance and find expertise to develop policy positions representing the best from the major groups’ constituencies relevant to the agenda points of the CSD implementation cycle/programme of work
  • Coordinate and facilitate the participation of representatives of their respective sector throughout the CSD sessions, working in collaboration with other major groups’ sectors’ representatives present at the RIMs, the IPM and the CSD sessions.
Click here for the full list of Major Groups’ Organizing Partners for the 2010-2011 Implementation Cycle.

4.5 CSD-17 Partnerships Fair

The Partnerships Fair at CSD sessions provides a venue for CSD registered partnerships to network, identify new partners, create synergies between partnerships, learn from each other’s experiences and explore possibilities for replicability and scaling up. The launching of new partnerships are particularly encouraged.  The Partnerships Fair is part of the official programme of the CSD, and aims at facilitating the consideration of partnerships by CSD participants and enriching the debate on practical tools for implementation of sustainable development commitments. CSD-registered Partnerships will also have the opportunity to update CSD participants on progress made and to engage in an open dialogue on issues of mutual concern to partnerships.

The Partnerships Fair at CSD-18 will focus on partnerships working in the thematic areas of transport, chemicals, waste management, mining, and the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, as well as on SIDS.

General Structure of the CSD-18 Partnerships Fair

Partnerships Working Sessions: these sessions are organized to generate a more interactive, candid and dynamic dialogue and exchanges of views among leading-edge thinkers, practitioners and experts on issues related to the use of partnerships to implement sustainable development more effectively. They are specifically designed to offer an opportunity to discuss latest developments and emerging issues in the international dialogue on partnerships; highlight experiences from “on the ground” partnerships practitioners; maximize opportunities to share information on lessons learned and experiences on best practices; find innovative solutions to challenges in implementing sustainable development as well as identify support for future initiatives; and build bridges between the policy recommendations and effective implementation.

Partnerships Training Sessions: These highly interactive and dynamic sessions aim at providing CSD participants with valuable tools, resources, examples and practical experiences on establishing, developing and maintaining effective partnerships; concrete benefits and incentives of using partnerships as collaborative mechanisms or models for more effective delivery of sustainable development goals and objectives; effective approaches to manage challenges, involving a diverse group of stakeholders; knowledge on useful ways to replicate and scale up success stories; and opportunities for CSD registered partnerships to impart knowledge and capacity in specific issues of their work.

Partnerships Information Desks: Depending on availability of the neck area, partnerships information desks will be available to representatives from CSD registered partnerships to have the opportunity to showcase their activities, display and distribute information related to their partnerships and directly interact with CSD participants.

Who can Participate at the Partnerships Fair?

All CSD participants, including representatives of Governments, UN system organizations, intergovernmental organizations and accredited major groups are welcome to attend the Partnerships Fair.

Partners involved in a CSD registered Partnership will have the opportunity to request time slots for working or training sessions as well as an information desk during the CSD 18 Partnerships Fair. Partnerships related to the thematic areas of transport, chemicals, waste management, mining, and the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns and SIDS are particularly encouraged to participate. Representatives of CSD registered Partnerships must ensure that they are accredited to the Commission on Sustainable Development (through a major group, Government or intergovernmental organization) to be able to participate in the Partnerships Fair.

More detailed information on the CSD-18 Partnerships Fair will become available in early 2010 and can be accessed at the CSD Partnerships Website. For further information on partnerships for sustainable development, please visit the web-page

Interested in Registering your Partnership?

For complete and detailed information on partnerships for sustainable development, including request forms, important dates and key documents, please click here.

For complete and detailed information on partnerships for sustainable development, including request forms, important dates and key documents, please please refer the Partnerships web page.

4.6 The Learning Centre

TThe Learning Centre is part of the official programme of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and runs parallel to the CSD plenary sessions. Its purpose is to provide teaching and training at a practical level on topics of relevance to the specific themes being considered by the CSD, as well as selective cross-cutting themes of sustainable development to further implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) and the Mauritius Strategy for the sustainable development of SIDS. If you wish to propose an activity in the Learning Centre, please follow the guidelines which will be posted in the near future on the CSD-18 main page.

4.7 Side Events

Side events, sponsored by major groups, governments and UN agencies, will be organized as a complementary part of the CSD-18 Programme of Work in order to generate informal opportunities for exchange of information, experience and non-standard views. If you wish to organize a side event, please follow the guidelines for side events organizers at CSD-18 which will be posted in January 2010 on the CSD-18 main page.

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