Børge Brende Chairs UN-Commission on Sustainable Development, 14 - 30 April

Press release

Date: 13.04.04

Minister of the Environment Børge Brende Chairs UN-Commission on Sustainable Development, 14 – 30 April in New York

Norway's Minister of the Environment, Børge Brende, Chairs the UN-Commission on Sustainable Development, CSD12, April 14 – 30 in New York. UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, will open the Ministerial Segment of the meeting on 28 April.

Ministers across a broad range of portfolios will be among the hundreds of Government delegates who will meet at United Nations Headquarters during the session, to assess how the world has fared since the Johannesburg Summit in its efforts to implement goals for sustainable development.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development’s Twelfth Session will be the first substantive review of progress since the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002. It aims to critically evaluate what action needs to be taken to ensure the world stays on track to meet the targets agreed at the Summit, which include and expand upon the UN Millennium Development Goals.

A “Partnerships Fair” will run for the entire session, showcasing practical initiatives launched at the Summit, aimed at achieving results on the ground. This will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to create synergies and source potential funding avenues.

Highlights of the Session, 14 to 30 April 2004

14 – 16 April: Preparatory talks for the International Meeting on small island developing States, to be held in Mauritius in late August.

19 April: Opening statements by CSD Chairman and Norwegian Minister of the Environment H.E. Børge Brende and the Under-Secretary-General for UN Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. José Antonio Ocampo, as well as key UN agency heads.

19 – 27 April: Discussions on progress and priorities in water, sanitation and human settlements.

28 – 30 April: High-Level (Ministerial) Segment.
Opening statements by UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan

From Norway, Minister of International Development, Hilde Frafjord Johnson, is head of the Norwegian delegation to CSD 12 and will participate on 28 April.

The Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Erna Solberg will participate on 30 April.

For media queries regarding sustainable development and the CSD, story ideas and interviews, please contact: Renata Sivacolundhu, U.N. Department of Public Information, Tel: +1 212 963 2932 Fax: +1 212 963 1186 Email: mediainfo@un.org

For interviews with the Chairman or TV-feeds, please contact: Ingun Larsen, Ministry of the Environment Norway, Tel: + 47 92 60 77 42 or Eva Nordvik, Tel: +47 90 99 66 72

Media representatives wishing to attend CSD meetings should contact: Media Accreditation & Liaison Unit, UN Department of Public Information Fax: 1-212-963 4642