Closed Consultation

Sixteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-16)

When: May 5 – May 16, 2008
Where: New York, NY, USA

The Canadian Environmental Network (RCEN) selected one (1) ENGO and one (1) youth delegate to attend the Sixteenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-16). This meeting took place from May 5-16, 2008 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. CSD-16 was a Review session of the third implementation cycle and focused on the following thematic issues: Agriculture, Rural development, Land, Drought, Desertification and Africa.

The selected delegates were:

• ENGO Delegate - Randy Christensen (Ecojustice Canada)
• Youth Delegate - Joanna Dafoe (Sierra Youth Coalition)

CSD-16 Delegate Reports

• ENGO Delegate Report
• Youth Delegate Report
• Joint Delegate Report

CSD-16 ENGO Delegate Event Reports

• Biofuels, Food Security and Rural Development
• Changing the Way We Develop: Dealing with Disasters and Climate Change
• Expo Zaragoza 2008 – Contributing Towards Sustainable Water Management
• Electronic Access to Extension and Education Practices
• GPPN and Stakeholder Forum – Recommendations for Water Review
• Investing in Integrated Water Resources Management
• International Model Forestry Network
• Human Right to Water and Food and the Need to Present Desertification
• Water and Climate Change - Adaptation, Risk Assessment and Water Resource Management
• Efficient Management of Food Production Systems under Water and Land Constraints

CSD-16 Youth Delegate Event Reports

• The Survival of Small Island Developing States: Seeking a Breakthrough in Sustainable Development
• Environmental Governance and Democracy Institutions: Public Participation and Environmental Sustainability
• Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture – the Challenges of Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Land Use and Sustainable Development for Host Communities in the Extractive Sector
• The Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change

Additional Information

Click here for more information about CSD-16. More information on the second implementation cycle (CSD-14 and 15) can be found on the UN CSD webpage as well as the RCEN website (including the ENGO and youth delegate reports for CSD-14 and an unofficial ENGO report for CSD-15).

Major activities undertaken by the Federal Government related to CSD-16 include:
- Canada recently submitted their national reporting for this cycle
- On February 25th, DFAIT will host an outreach session with members of civil society. The primary purpose of the outreach is to: provide an overview Canada’s national reporting submission; encourage Canadian stakeholders to submit case studies; share information regarding Canada’s planned activities at CSD-16; and encourage participation at CSD-16, including via side events and partnership activities. See the RCEN website for more information on this session.

For additional details, please contact Monique Lefebvre, National Caucus Coordinator, at (613) 728-9810, ext. 235.