By LYNN HONG, Grade 12,

Korea International School

As the world continues to confront economic plight and environmental destruction, it seems that development is taking on a whole new dimension. Sustainable development, whether it be political, economic, or environmental, is quickly gaining momentum as the comprehensive solution to establish security. Keeping in line with this change, the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) has been newly introduced to THIMUN Singapore this year to generate discussion on the integration of sustainable development in policy-making.

     The main focus of the CSD is to delineate a plan to incorporate “cross-sectoral” sustainable development at international, regional, and national levels. As a high-level forum for sustainable development, the CSD strives to produce dialogue and action in the international community on major sustainable development issues. Key topics stretch over a broad range of social, economic, and environmental aspects including industrial development, poverty, disease control, sustainable consumption and production patterns and natural resources management. The CSD’s goal is to devise means of implementation through various approaches such as capacity-building, education, financial aid, and technology.

    Political approaches such as facilitating intergovernmental negotiations, consensus-building and decision-making are expected to become the basis for a lasting political growth. Moreover, the CSD promotes inter-agency and inter-organizational cooperation and encourages the participation of UN member states, international organizations, and civil society groups in achieving  sustainable development. Strengthening the role of Major Groups including children, youth, women, NGOs, and local authorities is also considered to be the crux of the actualization of this goal.

    This year, the commission will work in the context of the realization of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI). Jessica Yun, the president of the CSD and a senior from Korea International School, hopes that the “CSD will generate a lively discussion of fresh ideas.” Extensive and complex in nature, the CSD is a joint effort to engage the world in an active conversation on sustainable development.

(Illustration by guest artist Kristin Chung, Korea International School)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009