UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

CSD-17: Agriculture, rural development, improved management of land resources, combating drought and desertification, and Africa

Policy session, third implementation cycle

4-15 May 2009

The 17th session of CSD, took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 4-15 May 2009, and focused on agriculture, land, rural development, and drought and desertification, with special attention paid to Africa. This was the policy session aimed at identifying policy actions needed to overcome the obstacles identified in the CSD-16 review session.

On behalf of the Scientific and Technological Community (Major Group), ICSU – together with the World Federation of Engineering Organizations – submitted a report to the UN recommending priorities for action. The recommendations are based on the discussion paper submitted to CSD-16 and the outcomes of that session.

More information, including the outcomes adopted by participants, are available on the CSD-17 website.

ICSU co-organized two side events:

• A presentation of the newly launched international research programme Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. The event was co-organised by the Alliance of the CGIAR Centres, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) and the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP).

• ‘Farming First: Enhancing Sustainable Development through Agriculture’ co-organised with CropLife International, the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) and IFAP.

Resources

• CSD-17 Priorities for Action recommended by the S&T Community
• CSD-16 Discussion Paper from the S&T Community

The next CSD session

CSD‐18 will focus on the state of implementation of goals and targets for Transport, Chemicals, Waste Management, Mining and the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. This is the review session for the fourth implementation cycle and will take place in New York, 3–14 May 2010. The policy session (CSD-19) will take place in 2011.