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A. The role of a national council/commission for sustainable development or a national environmental council.
Many countries in the region have established national councils/commissions for sustainable development or national environmental councils. These are political bodies designed to express the priority that the country places on undertaking development in a sustainable manner, and to maintain this priority.
| Structure, functions and members |
The structure of national councils/commissions for sustainable development differs from country to country . However, in almost all cases the membership consists of representatives from government ministries. In some cases, the council is chaired by a high-ranking public servant. There are also structures involving representatives of the general public, the private sector and NGOs.
In general, national councils for sustainable development tend to act in an advisory rather than decision-making capacity. Some of these roles include:
Typical roles of national councils for sustainable development
- Providing policy advise to the government
- Helping to develop a national vision which includes the environment
- Providing advice on proposed actions, bills, etc
- Planning environmental policies and strategies
- Providing an avenue for incorporating the concerns of the private sector, NGOs and the general public into development issues
- Promoting awareness about the environment
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Examples of structures:
Nepal: The Environment Protection Council (EPC)
The Philippines: Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD)
| Operational/coordinating experience |
National councils/commissions for sustainable development in most Asian and Pacific Island Countries have experienced problems in implementing and co-ordinating sustainable development initiatives. The are a number of reasons for the lack of effective operation and/or coordination. These include:
Reasons for the lack of effective functioning
- Advisory nature:
These councils are mostly advisory in nature. They lack the authority to enforce policies and provide effective advice on environmental problems and policies.
- Human resources: Very often, they lack adequate manpower and essential skills
- Financial resources: They are often not given adequate financial resources to carry out their tasks
- Representation: Other interest groups such as local governments and NGOs are sometimes not integrated into the decision-making process
- Priorities: Sometimes the environment is considered as a minor development issue
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