UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

CSD-16: Agriculture, rural development, improved management of land resources, combating drought and desertification, and Africa

Review session, third implementation cycle

5-16 May 2008

The 16th session of CSD, which took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 5-16 May 2008, focused on agriculture, land, rural development, and drought and desertification, with special attention paid to Africa—the regional focus of this CSD biennial cycle. This session reviewed progress in meeting sustainable development goals in these areas, as well as obstacles and opportunities on the way forward.

ICSU, together with the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, submitted a discussion paper as formal input from the S&T Community. In the development of this Paper, information and perspectives were sought from all ICSU National and Scientific Union Members and Interdisciplinary Bodies. The Paper is also available on the CSD website in all official UN languages.

The ICSU Delegation participated in the thematic and regional discussions on the topics covered by the review session and one delegate was invited, by the UN, to be a panellist. At the ministerial segment, which was attended by 60 ministers, ICSU made a formal statement on behalf of the S&T Community and participated in ministerial roundtables.

The outcomes of the CSD-16 review session are available in the Chair’s Summary (Parts I and II) on the CSD-16 website.

The policy session on the topics reviewed at CSD-16, will take place at CSD-17 in 2009.

Side events

ICSU co-organized two side events:

• ‘Enhancing Agricultural Productivity: Meeting the Sustainability Challenge’ with the Business and Industry Major Group, and
• ‘Enhancing the Economic Value of Drylands through Agriculture’ with the Farmers Major Group and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

Resourcres

• Statement by Lindiwe Majele Sibanda on behalf of the S&T Community
• CSD-16 Discussion Paper from the S&T Community
• ICSU Delegation to CSD-16