WHEREAS , to ensure that the commitments made in the Rio de Janeiro Declaration are fulfilled and to realize the country ™s sustainable development goals, the PCSD was established on 01 September 1992 through Executive Order No. 15;

WHEREAS , to strengthen PCSD, the expansion of its membership as well as the establishment of local councils for sustainable development were provided for through the issuance of Executive Order No. 370 (s. 1996);

WHEREAS , in order to operationalize sustainable development at the local level, Memorandum Order No. 47 (s. 1999) was issued mandating local government units (LGUs) to formulate and implement their sustainable integrated area development plans or Local Agenda 21 with the assistance of concerned government agencies;

WHEREAS , in light of changing circumstances and, emerging issues on sustainable development locally and globally there is an urgent need to pursue new interventions through a more responsive PCSD structure;

WHEREAS , for the PCSD to be more effective and responsive in ensuring the realization of the government ™s sustainable development goals, there is a need to streamline and define its core functions and membership, keeping in mind the various agencies in government whose functions are integral components of the overall government sustainable development operational thrusts;

WHEREAS , there is a need for PCSD to focus on strategic interventions that have significant and catalytic impact on sustainable development;

WHEREAS , it is necessary to further strengthen the PCSD as the lead instrumentality responsible for mainstreaming sustainable development in national government and affiliated agencies, Congress, LGUs, as well as existing multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO , President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Further Strengthening the PCSD . The Philippine Council for Sustainable Development, hereinafter referred to as the Council, is hereby further strengthened, structurally and functionally, in accordance with the provisions of this Executive Order.

SEC 2. Composition of the Council .

1. The core members from government shall be composed of Secretaries of the following Departments as permanent principal members, with an Undersecretary as alternate:

a. National Economic and Development Authority;
b. Department of Environment and Natural Resources;

2. Civil society, composed of people ™s organizations, non-government organizations and sectoral/major groups representation shall have five (5) Council members selected by their community, based on their commitment to sustainable development concerns, through a process designed by them These may include the following groups: women, youth, farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous people, Moro and Cordillera people, urban poor, persons with disabilities, academe, professionals, media, religious groups and NGOs.

3. Labor and business shall have one (1) representative each in the Council. Representation shall, likewise be decided through a process to be designed by them.

The Chairperson of the Council shall be the Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and NEDA Director-General. The Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall be the Vice-Chairperson.

SEC 3. Terms of Office and Meetings . The term of office of members shall be co-terminus with their appointment or election in their respective departments or organizations.

The Council shall meet quarterly, or as frequently as may be deemed necessary. Special meetings may be convened at the call of the Chairperson or by a majority of the members of the Council. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall preside. In case any civil society, business or labor sector member of the Council cannot attend the meeting, he or she shall be represented by the alternate to be designated through their respective selection process for the purpose.

SEC 4. Powers and Functions of the Council .

1. To review and ensure the implementation of the commitments made by the Philippines in the light of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and its follow-up processes;

2. To act as the coordinating mechanism with the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) and the Governing Bodies or Secretaries of other related multilateral conventions, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);

3. To establish guidelines and mechanisms that will ensure that the sustainable development principles, as embodied in the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, and the Philippine Agenda 21, are integrated in the formulation of national, regional and local development policies, plans and programs;

4. To formulate policies and recommend new actions to appropriate bodies on sustainable development issues focusing on the environment dimensions of social and economic interventions and the social and economic dimensions of environment interventions;

5. To review and monitor plans, policies, program and legislation on sustainable development to promote efficiency and timeliness of their execution and ensure consistency and coordination among the Legislative and Executive branches of government, local government units, civil society, business, labor and other concerned entities/sectors, and existing multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms;

6. To establish a networking mechanism to link the Council with local and international organizations involved in sustainable development;

7. To create, reorganize or abolish committees of the Council, ad-hoc or permanent, and to define their structure, functions and limitations;

8. To submit its annual work program with actionable and time bounded targets and regularly report to the President the status of implementation and achievement of specific targets thereof; and

9. To perform such other acts which are necessary to carry out its mandated functions and responsibilities.

SEC 5. Participation of Other Government Agencies in the Council . - The Council can call upon other government agencies and instrumentalities, civil society, business and labor sector organizations to participate in Council business, including its meetings, if so warranted by conditions as may exist from time to time. For this purpose, other government agencies shall identify a PCSD focal officer not lower than a rank of Director who shall coordinate their agency ™s participation in PCSD concerns.

SEC 6. Secretariat. The Council shall be assisted by a Coordinating Secretariat which shall be based at the NEDA, the composition of which shall be determined by the Director-General, and a Counterpart Secretariat, the composition of which shall be determined by the Civil Society Counterpart Council for Sustainable Development (CSCCSD).

SEC 7. Budget. There shall be provided in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) a regular line item under the NEDA budget to cover the operational requirements of the Council subject to the prescribed budgetary guidelines. Other member-agencies of the Council shall also include a line item in the GAA under their respective agency budgets to cover the cost of their activities related to PCSD.

SEC 8. Repealing Clause. All Executive Orders, laws, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Order are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC 9. Effectivity. - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 10th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, two thousand and one.

(SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(SGD.) ALBERTO G. ROMULO
Executive Secretary