The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
This United Nations division serves as the secretariat, or the research staff, of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, whose representatives meet periodically to develop policies for sustainable development in 40 countries. The division comprises 30 program officers working in specific sectors: health, human settlements, freshwater resources, toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes, solid wastes, and radioactive wastes. According to André Vasilyev, First Officer, it prepares studies and analytical reports and conducts research to support the work of the Commission. It also measures the progress of and makes recommendations for development programs. The division's stated mission is to contribute to sustainable development worldwide by working to implement Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Forest Principles (a United Nations statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests), and the Global Programme of Action for Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The division carries out multi-year work programs on sustainable development indicators, changing consumption and production patterns, and the transfer of environmentally sustainable technology.
The Commission was established in 1992 as an adjunct to Agenda 21, the plan of action for environmental sustainability adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. Its charge is to ensure that decisions made at UNCED are carried out at national, regional and international levels, and to further international cooperation and decision-making on these issues.
The full Commission meets once a year. Ad hoc working groups meet periodically to address specific issues, including trade and environmental development, consumption patterns, financial resources, and technology transfer. Open-ended working groups address such issues as integrated management of land resources, forests, combating desertification, sustainable mountain development, sustainable agriculture, rural development, and biological diversity.
In recent years, the Commission has examined numerous strategies to promote sustainable development: trading debt for sustainable development, creating environmental user charges for air transport, implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification, and developing tools for integrated land management. In the spring of 1997, the full commission met to conduct a five-year review of the results of UNCED.
Division for Sustainable Development/DESA, United Nations Plaza, Room DC2-2220, New York , NY USA 10017 (212) 963-3170, Fax: (212) 963-4260, Email: dsd@un.org,