Background

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The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) took place in Johannesburg in August 2002. The summit set an ambitious agenda, with challenging goals and targets. Participants called for a focus on delivery: a step-change from words to action. The UK Government is committed to delivering the outcomes of the summit, recognising that the event was a significant step on a long road to achieving sustainable development.

This will not be achieved without significant commitment across government to deliver on a series of wide ranging commitments.

It is also recognised that no single nation or entity can address these challenges alone, co-operation is required to ensure that efforts are collectively made, learning is shared and progress achieved.

In an increasingly interdependent world, we will aim to achieve progress on the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation through the sustainable development dialogues through leadership by our respective governments and co-operation at multiple levels.
The ISDF, managed by Defra, will be used to support previously unfunded cross government activities which are seen as key to achieving the much-touted call for a step change from rhetoric to action. It will be central to achieving Defra's Departmental Strategic Objective to champion SD domestically and internationally, as measured by:.

• The UK's progress towards delivering the WSSD commitments, through the PM initiated, Defra-led bilateral multi-stakeholder dialogues on sustainable development with India and China,Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.
• Galvanising small-scale multi-stakeholder partnerships as exemplars, building on the success of, and experience gained from, the partnerships developed and launched at WSSD.

The fund will be used to build on and complement existing activities encouraging further activity to accelerate delivery.

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Applications for Funding

The fund is not publicly advertised to invite bids directly to the International SD Dialogues (ISDD)  team. However, it is used to support a strategic approach to sustainable development engagement in each country, through government partners. Specific needs meeting the guiding principles of the fund are set out below.
The key government partners are identified as follows:

• Defra leads for the policy areas of oceans, fisheries, biodiversity, chemicals, agriculture and sustainable consumption and production,
• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London
• The FCO posts in dialogue countries (India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico).
• The Department for International Development (DfID) in London
• DfID offices in dialogue countries
• It may also be managed through other government departments where agreed by the ISDD team.

The Government partner formulates proposals either themselves or with the help of an implementing organisation. They then submit the proposal via the ISDD team to the ISDF Programme Board group for approval.

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