WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution mandates as a policy of the State the protection and advancement of the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accordance with the rhythm and harmony of nature;

WHEREAS, the Philippines formally adopted sustainable development as a guiding principle in development efforts through the adoption of a national conservation strategy for sustainable development which was presented by the country during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro;

WHEREAS, the UNCED adopted a resolution for the creation of a Sustainable Development Commission that will evaluate and monitor adherence to the agreements and commitments made in Rio and urged governments to form similar bodies that will ensure that activities at the national level are implemented and coordinated with global efforts;

WHEREAS, the creation of the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) on 01 September 1992, by virtue of Executive Order No. 15, is a manifestation of the country ™s adherence to the principles set forth in Rio and ensures that these commitments are implemented, periodically monitored and coordinated;

WHEREAS, the PCSD, through effective collaborative efforts with civil society and financial support from the United Nations Development Programme - Capacity 21 facility, initiated the formulation of the Philippine Agenda (PA) 21, a consensus document which is envisioned to guide the sustainable development path of the country;

WHEREAS, the PA 21, which is built upon the principles of subsidiary (self-governance), consensus building, open access and multi-stakeholdership, embodies the common resolve of government, business and the civil society to operationalize the sustainable development vision;

WHEREAS, the operationalization of the PA 21 requires the integration of the various overarching dimensions and components of sustainable development and the need for participation of government, business and civil society;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to strengthen the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development to institutionalize the support of other key sectors of the society and to further enhance its ability to coordinate planning and policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation in the pursuit of sustainable development;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

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

SEC. 2. Composition of the Council.

The Chairperson of the Council shall be the Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning as NEDA Director-General and Chair of the POPCOM Board of Commissioners, with the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as Vice-Chairperson.

2. The members of the Council from government shall be regular officers from the following departments with a rank of director or higher, duly deputized to represent their respective secretaries and committed to the cause of sustainable development:

a. Department of Foreign Affairs
b. Department of Science and Technology
c. Department of Finance
d. Department of Agriculture
e. Department of Public Works and Highways
f. Department of Education, Culture and Sports
g. Department of Labor and Employment
h. Department of Health
i. Department of Trade and Industry
j. Department of Interior and Local Government
k. Department of Social Welfare and Development
l. Department of Budget and Management
m. Department of National Defense
n. Department of Energy
o. Department of Transportation and Communication
p. Department of Agrarian Reform

3. Civil society, composed of people ™s organizations, non-government organizations and sectoral/major groups representation shall have nine (9) Council members selected by their community, based on their commitment to sustainable development concerns, through a process designed by them. These shall include the following major groups: women, youth, farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous people, Moro and Cordillera people, urban poor, persons with disabilities, academe, professionals, media, religious groups and NGOs.

4. Labor and business shall have two (2) representatives each in the Council. Representation shall, likewise, be decided through a process to be designed by them.

The Council shall have the authority to invite any government agency or non-government entity as resource person.

SEC. 3. Composition of the PCSD Committee. In support of the PCSD, there shall be created under the Council four (4) committees corresponding to the 4 major areas of concern of the global Agenda 21. The government representatives to these committees shall be at least division chiefs in their respective agencies. When necessary, sub-committees may be created.

These committees and their composition shall be as follows:

1. Committee on Social and Economic Dimensions (CSED)

2. Committee on Conservation and Management of Resources for Development (CCMRD)

3. Committee on Strengthening the Role of Major Groups (CSRMG)

4. Committee on Means of Implementation (CMI)

The composition of each committee may be expanded, reduced or reconstituted upon the recommendation of the concerned committee and approval by the Council.

Membership in the committees and sub-committees of the Council by members of the non-government community, including civil society, business and labor, shall be determined through a process designed by them. In each of these committees, there shall be a Co-chair, who shall not be from the government sector, to be elected by the committee members.

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 UNCED and PA 21;

2. To establish guidelines and mechanisms that will expand, concretize and operationalize the sustainable development principles, as embodied in the Rio Declaration, the UNCED, Agenda 21, the National Conservation Strategy and the Philippine Agenda 21, and incorporate them in the preparation of the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan, both at the national and local levels, with active participation from the non-government sector and people ™s organizations;

3. To formulate policy reforms, programs and projects and recommend new legislations that respond to continuing and emerging issues and charting future actions related to environment and sustainable development;

4. To provide policy advice to appropriate bodies on environment and sustainable development issues of national interest;

5. To institutionalize a mechanism that would ensure linkage with the legislative, executive, local government units, non-governmental organizations, business and other concerned entities/sectors, in the formulation of policies and decision-making on sustainable development concerns;

6. To act as the coordinating mechanism with the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and actively solicit assistance and cooperation towards the realization of our commitment made at the UNCED;

7. To review and monitor plans, policies, programs and legislations on sustainable development and recommend mechanisms/strategies for promoting efficiency and timeliness of their execution;

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

9. To call on any and all government agencies, resource persons and  other groups, as necessary, in the performance of its role and functions;

10. To catalyze the formation and institutionalization of local councils for sustainable development in close coordination with local authorities;

11. To establish, reorganize or abolish committees of the Council; and

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

SEC. 5. The 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 People ™s/Non-Government Organization members of the Council.

SEC. 6. Budget. There shall be provided in the General Appropriations Act a regular line item under the NEDA budget to cover the operational requirements of the Council subject to the prescribed budgetary guidelines.

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. All Executive Orders which are inconsistent with the provisions of this order are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 8. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 26th day of Sept in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary