The Asia-Europe Environment Forum co-organised the Expert Consultation on Knowledge and Capacity Needs for Sustainable Development in Post-Rio+20 Era.
The meeting aimed to capture a number of initiatives over the past decades providing sustainability knowledge and capacity building. As mapping out resources and gaps, monitoring changes, assessing and channelling feedback from policy makers on such diverse sources remains still difficult.
Therefore, the event provided a platform to prepare an initial mapping of sustainability knowledge assets, activities and actors. Moreover, the Consultation explored what technical, policy knowledge and capacities are needed to foster transition towards sustainability by:
(i) taking stock of adequacy of existing knowledge and capacity building models, platforms and initiatives contributing towards sustainability transition;
(ii) examining how Member States and other stakeholders could make best use of available resources and platforms to meet their knowledge and capacity needs;
(iii) assessing needs and gaps in knowledge and capacity for advancing sustainable development in post-Rio context; and
(iv) facilitating communication and collaboration between knowledge providers and users.
The Consultation brought together senior policy-making experts representing governments and a broad spectrum of organisations to develop a framework for action that meets the knowledge and capacity needs of the post-Rio+20 era, and in a format that fosters a multi-stakeholder dialogue.
This Consultation was organised by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) in partnership with the Asia Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum), the Korea Environment Institute, and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD).
