From: Federica Pietracci ( pietracci at un.org) The CSD Secretariat encourages and welcomes inputs from major groups’ organizations that will contribute to the CSD-15 policy process. Information submitted by major groups will be collected, analyzed and considered in the preparation of Secretary-General’s reports.

The fourteen session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14), which took place in New York, in May 2006, reviewed the state of implementation of energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere, climate change goals and targets provided for in Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 2, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island and Developing States. The outcome of CSD-14 was a Chair’s Summary, which identified constraints and obstacles to, and continuing challenges for, the implementation of energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere, climate change goals and targets.

The Chair’s Summary of CSD-14 provides the substantive basis for the preparation of the Secretary-General’s reports for CSD-15, which the Division for Sustainable Development is currently preparing. Guided by the decision of the CSD for the preparation of the reports of the Secretary-General for the policy year of the CSD two-year work cycle, these reports will focus on policy options and possible actions to overcome the constraints and obstacles and meet the challenges identified by CSD-14.

We are pleased to invite major groups to provide inputs to the preparation of the Secretary-General’s reports. Your discussion of a given policy option or possible action should be concise but nevertheless as specific as possible, including a brief rationale and, as appropriate, brief reference to the necessary conditions for effective implementation. We would also request that you provide complete references and supporting documentation - or links thereto.

Please note that each of the Secretary-General’s reports will have a maximum of 16 pages and needs to be completed by September 2006. Major groups wishing to contribute to these reports should use the enclosed framework to submit their inputs, by not later than 18 August 2006 and send responses in writing to:

CSD Major Groups Programme
e-mail:  csdmgregister at un.org
fax: + 1 917 367 2341

Feel free to contact the Major Groups Programme for clarification of any points related to the requested inputs either by e-mail or by phone at: (212) 963-8497

Annex: Guidance for Providing Inputs to the Report of the Secretary-General to CSD-15 on energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere, climate change

In presenting suggested policy options and specific actions to respond to these challenges, please provide a brief rationale for the proposed action and identify conditions needed for effective implementation. Also, please provide references and any additional documentation. Please do not provide detailed text, nor should the suggestions/recommendations be limited only to bullets.

Please organize your inputs according to one or more of the following: (fields not mandatory)

Policy Options and Specific Actions

• Challenges (from CSD-14 Chair’s report)
• Strategies/Programmes
• Legal/ Regulatory/Institutional
• Finance
• Capacity building
• Other, e.g. education, technology
• Specific Actions

Kind regards, Federica Pietracci