Committee on Sustainable Development (CSD) Bureau meeting reflects and looks ahead with enthusiasm
By Maria Thundu with Yinka Adeyemi, ECA, 25 November 2004

The Chairperson of the Committee on Sustainable Development Bureau, Mohamed Kadah from Egypt, complimented ECA and the Sustainable Development Division (SDD) for their responsiveness to the demands of member States regarding sustainable development issues.

At its second meeting to follow-up on the status of the SDD programme of work for 2006-2007 and other ensuing matters, the Chairperson said the Bureau was pleased with the progress of work at SDD. “It is enriching and pleasing to see that our comments are being implemented”, he said.

Regarding the Global Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD12) process, the Bureau called for less reviewing and monitoring, and more focus on using the international arena to push the African agenda forward.

Since the Global CSD addresses a cluster of issues yearly, the Bureau urged ECA to align its own work to those issues in order to make use of the partnerships/relationships with other organizations and member States.

It also suggested that ECA could use the policy session of the twelfth session of the Global CSD to Africa’s benefit by introducing specific areas to implement its programme items. “Africa’s views should be reflected in the Global CSD report on all target areas”, the Bureau said.

Members called for recognition of partnerships in ECA’s work programme, urging it to work closely with other international organizations and member States, thereby linking ECA to the global system and making way for its agenda of projects to be highlighted in the international arena.

The meeting took note of the 2006-2007 work programme, which will be implemented with other UN agencies, African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) and the relevant stakeholders.