About

Our Mission

The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) provides a forum for academia, government, civil society, UN agencies, and the private sector to come together to share practical solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

History

In 2013, an ocean away from New York, a meeting was held in Dakar, Senegal, to find solutions to the complex challenges of sustainable development. Participants felt that a larger conference was needed to bring others into the dialogue, and thus in an auditorium at Université Cheikh Anta Diop, it was decided that the Global Association of Master’s in Development Practice programs would partner with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network to launch the first ICSD. The first ICSD took place in September 2013 and has continued annually. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the world in 2020 but ICSD persevered, moving the event fully online. With the virtual event, the conference became more accessible as the program covered time zones across the globe and admission was free for all participants. Now it is time for the 11th ICSD and the event has adapted a hybrid format to continue ensuring global access.

Access previous conference content: 20132014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Why Attend?

ICSD is the top academic international conference for discussing sustainable development issues. The parallel sessions include over 300 oral and poster presentations from researchers and development practitioners from across the world, presenting their work on topics ranging from gender equity to climate change to economic development, all focused on solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, ICSD’s plenaries allow participants to hear thought provoking speeches and conversations from leaders in the field of sustainable development. Speakers and panelists include heads of state, UN officials, CEOs, economists, and university professors. ICSD is a truly global event with programming that spans across all time zones and welcomes participants from all across the world – 149 countries in 2020 to be exact! Side events offer participants additional opportunities to meet with fellow participants, explore specific topics with more detail, and learn something new.

Who is in the Audience?

ICSD brings together professionals from the private sector, academia, government, and civil society, along with development practitioners and students and faculty from the world’s top universities. We welcome participants from all sectors and experience levels. The 2021 event welcomed 2,057 participants from 119 different countries! We expect an even larger 2022 audiences as we continue to improve the online experience.

About the Organizers

The Global Master’s in Development Practice (MDP), an interdisciplinary graduate degree program, prepares students to better identify and address the challenges of sustainable development. MDP programs generally consist of two years of coursework in four intersecting disciplines—health, natural, social, and management sciences–combined with cross-sectoral field training.

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) aims to accelerate joint learning and help to overcome the compartmentalization of technical and policy work by promoting integrated approaches to the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world. The SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.