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Frequently Asked Questions
There are a range of definitions of sustainable development, and how it is defined will in many cases depend on who you talk to. However, there is a general consensus that sustainable development entails the three pillars for development: economic, social and environmental.
Who and what is a ‘stakeholder’? In its broadest sense, a stakeholder is any individual, organisation, sector or community who has a ‘stake’ in the outcome of a given decision or process. In the context of international decision making processes, such as those at the UN level, the term stakeholder usually refers to a global constituency or group such as farmers, NGOs, trade unions and workers etc. It is also important to note that contrary to the term ‘civil society’, which remains a very vague term in the context of international processes, the term stakeholder can help to define different constituencies within civil society.
What is meant by the term 'stakeholder engagement'? Stakeholder engagement has become an often used but seldom defined phrase in the context of intergovernmental processes. Indeed, in a number of contexts it has been used to refer to any relations with external stakeholder groups, which in the context of the UN system, usually means any constituency other than a Member State. Stakeholder Forum defines the term to mean a series of activities that seek to inform, consult and ensure the participation of stakeholders. An effective engagement strategy is usually one that defines a set of stakeholder groups, allows more than six months for stakeholders to prepare themselves, provides predictable spaces for stakeholders to formally contribute to the content of the meeting or the working groups, and involves a programme of activities and events to ensure a broad base of participation. For more information please see the Stakeholder Empowerment Project.
At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 it was recognised that ‘one of the fundamental prerequisites for the achievement of sustainable development is broad public participation in decision-making’ Agenda 21. As a result, a number of key stakeholder groups were recognised for achieving sustainable development namely; Business and Industry; Trade Unions; Indigenous Peoples; Children and Youth; Women; Farmers; Local Government; Non-governmental Organisations; Science and Technology community. These stakeholder groups have become known as the Major Groups, and are officially recognised within the Commission on Sustainable Development, a two year policy cycle at the UN for developing and reviewing policies on sustainable development In this context, each Major Group has a number of coordinators whose role it is to reach out to their global constituency, prepare them for the coming CSD cycle, and prepare position papers and inputs. The Major Groups system has also been recognised by a number of other UN processes including UNEP and the UN Forum on Forests.
What are the UN policy processes related to sustainable development? The main ongoing policy processes relating to sustainable development at a UN level are: The Commission on Sustainable Development – responsible for enhancing progress towards and reviewing action taken in relation to the commitments outlined in Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (see below)
What have been the main developments in sustainable development at the international level? There have been a series of milestones in sustainable development at the international level. The following are widely considered to be the most significant developments:
Does Stakeholder Forum have an agenda? Stakeholder Forum’s agenda is to advance progress towards internationally agreed commitments on sustainable development. It believes that open, informed and transparent decision-making at a global level is critical in achieving this goal, which is why it focuses on stakeholder engagement. Rather than advancing any one particular stakeholder position, it seeks to identify areas of consensus as well as priority issues identified by a range of stakeholders. It does not advance positions or opinions for which there is little consensus, or where they flagrantly contradict the principles of achieving sustainable development.
What is Stakeholder Forum's internal green policy? To view Stakeholder Forum's Green Policy click here
How is Stakeholder Forum funded? Stakeholder Forum is funded by a combination of Foundations, charitable trusts, governments and UN agencies. Stakeholder Forum only takes money from organisations and institutions who can demonstrate a commitment to advancing progress towards the achievement of sustainable development.
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