Sustainable development is an issue all countries in the world are currently looking at. The degree of emphasis and the level investing resources invested however varies from one country to another; but regardless of whether we are talking about industrialised or developing countries, the quest for environmentally sound, socially just, economically viable and ethically acceptable development needs to be regarded as a priority by all nations of the world.

For many years now, a large number of initiatives have been carried out throughout the world to attempt to stoke up awareness about sustainable development and promote initiatives to achieve it.

The 1987 Report "Our Common Future" produced by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), "Agenda 21" produced by the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the "Johannesburg Declaration" produced following the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 are examples of the type of initiatives being worked on internationally. These have been complemented by the various "National Sustainable Development Strategies" produced prior to UNCED and after Johannesburg.

The aims of the “World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day” are:

• to disseminate information on the concept, aims and purposes of sustainable development so that it can be understood by a broad public, and will include elements relating to its environmental, social, economic and policy aspects;
• to raise awareness among university students on the complexity of matters related to sustainable development and the need for personal engagement and action;
• to provide an opportunity to introduce projects and other initiatives on sustainable development that are being undertaken at international, regional and local level by schools, universities, government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders;
• to discuss the problems, barriers, challenges, opportunities and the potential achievements with regard to implementing sustainable development, globally, regionally and locally.

The "World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day" will reach a broad audience, comprising:

The "World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day" is to be an inclusive event, and would like to welcome all those interested to participate.