Introduction

National Council for Sustainable Development was created by the Hungarian Parliament as a conciliatory, consultative and advisory organ for issues in the field of sustainable development. Chair of the Council is the current Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament. The Council has four Co-Chairs, delegated by the Government, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MP Groups of the Opposition Parties in Parliament, and civil society organisations.

Members of the Council:

• MP groups of the parties in Parliament (1 per MP group),
• the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (3 delegates)
• chambers of commerce (2 delegates)
• churches (2 delegates),
• trade unions (2 delegates),
• employers’ organisations (2 delegates),
• municipal associations (2 delegates),
• the Federation of Technical and Scientific Societies (1 delegate),
• the Hungarian Rector’s Conference (1 delegate),
• NGOs operating in the social or health-care spheres (2 delegates),
• organisations representing national and ethnic minorities (2 delegates),
• environmental and nature conservation NGOs (2 delegates),
• NGOs representing social classes and age groups (2 delegates),
• and NGOs from the cultural and educational sectors (2 delegates).

General scope of jurisdiction and responsibilities of the Council:

• to assist in the formulation of national sustainable development guiding principles and overarching tasks, taking international cooperation into account;
• to assist in the ongoing renewal and implementation of the sustainable development strategy;
• to provide coordination support for the related planning and consultative activities;
• and to enhance the participation of the public sector and of society at large.