Problem overview:

     Framework for coordination: With response to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the government of Korea has established an organization directly belonging to the President and comprises of director generals of the related government agencies and experts, in order to rationally solve conflicts between development policies and environmental policies.

Background in summary:

     Purpose: The Presidential Commission on Sustainable Development (PCSD) will contribute to the international efforts to promote the protection of the global environment and to pass onto the next generation a pleasant and clean environment.

     Organization: The Commission has established six Subcommittees to deliberate the concerned subject matters. Each subcommittee is composed of commissioned members and director generals of the related government agencies and experts in the area of the issues, and the number of members of the each Subcommittee shall be around 10.

     Mission: The PCSD shall comply with the President's request for advice on the following affairs.

1. Matters related to establishing direction and planning of major policy for which development and conservation should be taken into consideration simultaneously.
   
   
2. Matters related to the formulation and implementation of the plans to put into practice the Agenda 21 adopted at the UNCED.
   
   
3. Matters related to the domestic implementation schemes of and corresponding strategies to major international conventions on environment including UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
   
   
4. Other matters on environment-friendly and sustainable development for which the President may request advice.
   
   

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
2	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	-	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		-	Participation of the community
2	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	-	Participation of resource owners/users
2	Socio-cultural adaptability.	-	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
2	Level of development adaptability.	2	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
2	Style of government adaptability.	2	Ability to attract political interest/support
3	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	-	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:      There is obviously a determination by the Government to respond to international commitments on Sustainable Development and an action to empower the PCSD by having the Prime Minister as head. There are also 6 subcommittees as mentioned above covering various related environmental issues that are significant global concern such as energy.      There seems to be no participation, or perhaps not mentioned here, of the NGOs, private sector, and public representatives in the sub-committees of the PCSD, which is rather an important issue to consider since sustainable development concerns every party in the country. Sustainability of the project:      There needs to be some consideration that when there is an establishment of such institutional body to look over national sustainable development issues, whether it would be able to actually make certain actions, either in terms of change in policy, or promote public awareness, etc. in order to enhance sustainable development. Adaptability of the project to other situations:      Some countries in the ESCAP region and also in other regions are in the process of establishing or have already establishing their National Council for Sustainable Development, such as the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development, or Thailand National Council for Sustainable Development. Each country should adapt their NCSD structure according to their own governing system. Process of decision making and implementation:   Cost efficiency: