Emphasizing national capacity building for sustainable development

Description

Emphasizing national capacity building for sustainable development involves strengthening a country’s institutions, human resources, and infrastructure to effectively design, implement, and sustain development initiatives. This strategy addresses gaps in technical expertise, governance, and resource management by providing targeted training, technology transfer, and institutional support. Its practical intent is to empower nations to independently manage development challenges, reduce reliance on external aid, and ensure long-term, locally-driven solutions to environmental, economic, and social problems.

Context

Agenda 21 indicates that there must be active cooperation and collaboration among the United Nations regional commissions and other relevant organizations, regional development banks, non-governmental organizations and other institutions at the regional level. UNEP and UNDP, together with the regional commissions, would have a crucial role to play, especially in providing the necessary assistance, with particular emphasis on building and strengthening the national capacity of member states.

Implementation

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.