Indicators of Sustainable Development

1. Indicators of Sustainable Development Birgitte Alvarez-Rivero Division for Sustainable Development UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

2. Mandate The CSD 3rd Session (1995) approves a Programme of Work on Indicators of Sustainable Development Main Objective: • A core list of indicators of sustainable development accessible to decision-makers at the national level by the year 2001. Achieved by defining them, elucidating their methodologies and providing training and other capacity-building activities, as relevant.

3. WSSD & CSD11 JPOI par. 130 & CSD11 par.13: • Encourage further work on indicators for sustainable development by countries at the national level, including integration of gender aspects, on a voluntary basis, in line with national conditions and priorities • …Reporting to the CSD guided by….effective use of indicators….. (CSD11 par. 14d)

4. DESA • DHA • UNFCCC • UNICEF • UNCTAC • UNDP • UNSO • UNEP • SBC • UNU • ECA • ECLAC • ESCAP • ESCWA • ECE • HABITAT • ILO • FAO • UNESCO • WHO • ITU • WMO • UNIDO • World Bank • IAEA Other Organizations: EUROSTAT • OECD • CIAT • IUCN • IISD • IIASA • RIVM • NEF • SCOPE • WRI • WWF • The Wuppertal Institute Contributing Organizations

5. Contributing Countries Africa Asia and the Pacific Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia China, Japan, Maldives, Pakistan and the Philippines Europe North and Latin America and the Caribbean Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, France, The United Kingdom, Switzerland Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, Venezuela

6. Indicators of Sustainable Development

7. CSD Indicators of Sustainable DevelopmentGuidelines and Methodologies • Core set of 58 indicators with flexible adaptation at the national level • Description of themes and sub-themes • Methodology sheet for each indicator by lead agency • Guidelines for national implementation

8. Framework Dimension Theme Sub-Theme Indicators Social Environmental Economic Institutional

9. Guidelines • National Coordinating Mechanism & Focal Point • Gap analysis including a baseline assessment and priority selection through a consultative process • Assessment of capacity-building needs • Action Plan • Dissemination strategy • Periodic evaluation and re-assessment

10. Challenges • Lack of data and development capacity • International harmonization efforts • Further indicator development in “less advanced”substantive areas • Training in integrated information management

11. DSD focus DSD responding to challenges by: • Support for regional indicator networks • Sustainable Development Information Management for SIDS in the Caribbean Region • Country projects • Disaster reduction indicators in the context of sustainable development with ISDR & UNDP

12. Training Activity In preparation: • Sub-regional training programme in the development and implementation of national strategies for sustainable development (NSDS), monitoring and evaluation Project components: 1)NSDS preparation, 2) information management and, 3) national level indicator design

13. Millennium Development Goals • Adopted by the UN General Assemblyin 2000 • Commitment to a set of values and principles • 8 Millennium Development Goals • Indicators associated with goals to be reported on by member states

14. Summary Progress has been made since Rio, but challenges remain: • Lack of data • Harmonization • Areas less advanced • Training and capacity-building

15. CSD Indicators Website http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev