Participation

Participation is a major element of the concept of sustainable development. Agenda 21, the main strategy for implementing sustainable development which was signed by 179 countries at the UN Conference in Rio 1992 points out: “One of the fundamental prerequisites for the achievement of sustainable development is broad public participation in decision-making.” (Agenda 21, Paragraph 23.2). Participation hereby refers to the inclusion of a wide variety of societal actors, including governments, businesses, trade unions, NGOs, academics, and civil society as a whole.

The available country profiles cover in particular the following aspects:

• National SD strategies and their provisions for the participation of societal actors;
• Institutions that have been set up in order to increase participation; and
• Different forms of cooperation between the various actors and stakeholder groups.

For a comprehensive documentation of national stakeholder bodies, please go to the section “Councils” at the EEAC website http://www.eeac-net.org/