The Permanent Missions of Belgium and Tanzania to the UN co-hosted an informal discussion on the institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD), with a focus on economic aspects. IFSD is one of the two themes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), and the discussion was convened with the aim of contributing to the intergovernmental preparatory process. <\/p>\n
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Offering views on concrete options for institutional reform were five panelists: Antonio Prado, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Elliot Harris, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Michael T. Clark, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Samuel Tumiwa, Asian Development Bank (ADB); and Henry de Cazotte, UNCSD Secretariat. <\/p>\n
The interactive discussion with delegates in attendance addressed: strengthening coordination at the regional level; strengthening cooperation at the technical level, between international organizations, and other forms of integration between the UN and Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs); the future of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), including membership reform, subsidiarity and the relationship with the Group of 20 (G20); and improving integration of sustainable development\u2019s three pillars. <\/p>\n
Summarizing the discussion, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Tanzania said better policy making at all levels could help to streamline sustainable development in the context of other processes. <\/p>\n
The discussion was the first in a planned series on IFSD. Further meetings in the series will focus on the social and environmental pillars of sustainable development, according to the Permanent Representative of Belgium.<\/p>\n