Agenda 21, agreed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, called on all countries to introduce National Strategies for Sustainable Development (nssd). Since then, two international targets have been set: a Special Session of the UN General Assembly (Rio +5) set a target date of 2002 for nssds to be introduced; while the OECD  Development Assistance Committee (DAC) has set a target date of 2005 for nssds to be in the process of implementation. 

The OECD/DAC initiated a project to develop policy guidance for development assistance agencies on the development and implementation of nssds. This project, 'OECD/DAC Donor-Developing Country Dialogues on National Strategies for Sustainable Development', involves a review of experience with nssds, and other strategies for environment and development, in a number of developing countries on the basis of consultations with a range of stakeholders. It focuses in particular on the kinds of processes and conditions required to make nssds work in practice.

This web site provides tools to assist in promoting dialogues on national strategies for sustainable development and providing necessary background information and reference material in support of these dialogues. Overall objectives are to:

• improve international understanding of the key challenges and modalities for developing and implementing effective nssds.
• elaborate good practices for donors in assisting developing countries with the formulation and implementation of nssds. 
• inform bilateral donor response to developing country requests for support of nssd processes. 

This site is funded by DFID (UK) and SIDA.