The Origins of the Sustainable Development Goals

This chapter first takes the reader back to the UNCHE to better understand the developments that led States to establish the WCED, as well as the practice followed by States with respect to the involvement of CSOs into the discussions on sustainable development. The second section unfolds the efforts of the WCED in merging environmental and development concerns into the concept of sustainable development, as well as its role in establishing a practice about how to proceed to better address the challenges of sustainable development. Based on the practice followed in UNCHE, as well as by the WCED, the third section concludes by noting that, during first DSD, the concept of sustainable development has taken a more concrete shape; that a global perspective emerged with respect to the need to develop a global and systemic approach to address the challenges of sustainable development; and that States have recognised the significance of CSOs by involving them in efforts addressing the challenges of sustainable development.