Each of these documents focuses on different aspects of the same data, that is, information provided by Governments to the Commission on Sustainable Development. This background document attempts to capture graphically some of the key areas of national progress in the implementation of Agenda 21. It is based on the information provided by Governments both in the 1997 Country Profiles and in response to the 1998 Guidelines. As of 31 March 1998, one hundred and six countries have submitted national information. This document includes ratification of major international agreements of relevance to sustainable development, national decision-making structures, national instruments and programmes, and sectoral policies, programmes and legislation.
Information is given by country, grouped by regions.
At the end of each section there is a summary table on implementation by all reporting countries by subject area. This provides an opportunity to compare progress across sectors and issues. Information is updated as it is received from Governments. Nonetheless, it should be kept in mind that some ambiguities in the texts were inevitable, and this might have resulted in errors in interpretation and analysis. Information has been taken from the 1997 Country Profiles submitted to the fifth session of the CSD, as well as information received from Governments in response to the 1998 Guidelines.