Strategic Function: To provide real-time information to decision-makers and promote transparency in multilateral policy-making, using the latest information technologies. The products of IISD Reporting Services fill an important niche in international policy-making for sustainable development by providing negotiators, United Nations staff, NGOs and the media with timely information on often complex issues under debate. IISD Reporting Services Linkages Web Site (http://www.iisd.ca)

Achievements and Highlights

• IISD Reporting Services provided comprehensive real-time coverage of the final two meetings of the Preparatory Committee and the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development with daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin reports, online coverage and analyses.

The IISD Reporting Services Team includes more than 50 people, representing almost 30 different countries.

• In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), IISD Reporting Services published ENB on the Side, reporting on the outcomes of side events at meetings leading up to, and including, the World Summit in South Africa.

• During the 2002–2003 year, IISD Reporting Services launched a new HTML-enabled e-mail newsletter, Linkages Update, with reports on recent and upcoming events in the sustainable development policy community. This new publication, which is essentially an e-mail version of a Web page with links back to IISD's Linkages Web site, now reaches an estimated worldwide readership of 30,000.

With the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, IISD contributes to the transparency and accessibility of international negotiations on environment and sustainable development.

• IISD published the Earth Negotiations Bulletin at more than 30 United Nations meetings with funding from the governments of Canada, the U.K., the Netherlands, the United States, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Taiwan, France, the European Commission and UNEP.

• IISD Reporting Services was hired by governments and organizations to provide reporting services for meetings on policy issues such as water, forests, sustainable energy, climate change and biodiversity.