Rethinking sustainable development strategies: Promoting strategic analysis, debate and action

This document is the first output of a project, “Rethinking Sustainable Development Strategies ” (1998-2000), which aims to promote strategic analysis, debate and action for sustainable development in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It is being undertaken collaboratively by IIED and NESDA with multi-disciplinary country teams. Funding for project implementation is currently being provided by the EC (DG VIII) and UNDP. The paper is intended as a discussion document to stimulate debate, particularly at a time when governments and donors are considering how best to respond to the target date of 2002 set by UNGASS (1997) for all countries to have a sustainable development strategy in place. Whilst the paper draws on past experience of sustainable development strategies and their equivalents, it is forward looking and suggests the need to rethink approaches. The desirable outcome is that, by 2002, countries have not merely produced further strategy documents, but have introduced meaningful processes capable of making a real difference in moving towards sustainable development