Sustainable consumption and production has different meanings and present different challenges in each region of the world. Therefore the first phase of the Marrakech Process is to held regional consultations with the main objective to identify key regional priorities and needs for SCP and to support the development of regional and national strategies building cooperation and partnerships among different stakeholders.

Various regional consultations were held during 2003 and 2006 in the different regions, in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean, during which each region identified its needs and priorities in terms of SCP. The main outcomes of these regional consultations are:

• The "African 10-Year Framework of Programmes on SCP" (PDF - 689 KB) was launched in May 2006 with the institutional support of AMCEN, NEPAD, the African Union, UN ECA and UNEP
  
  
• Latin America and the Caribbean has developed its regional Strategy on SCP (PDF - 33 KB) and has officially set up a Regional Council of Government Experts on SCP supported by the regional Forum of Ministers of Environment
  
  
• MERCOSUR has joint the Marrakech Process, and launched its SCP Action Plan
  
  
• Asia-Pacific has launched its Regional Help Centre on SCP to assist governments in the region to take action on SCP
  
  
• The European Union included SCP as a priority issue in their revised Sustainable Development Strategy (2006) and is currently developing an EU Action Plan on SCP
  
  
• A Francophone network on SCP has been launched under the initiative of the Institut de l'Énergie et de l'Environnement de la Francophonie (IEPF). This network aims to mobilize French-speaking countries on SCP issues, open a working space in the French language and coordinate with other existing francophone networks on national strategies on sustainable development and social responsibility
  

As decided in the Stockholm Meeting, a new round of regional consultations will be held in 2008/09 with the objectives to:

• Strengthen and obtain more institutional and political support for the existing SCP strategies
  
  
• Encourage and support the development of new SCP strategies and initiatives
  
  
• Develop more synergies and integration between the work of the Marrakech Task Forces in the implementation of regional SCP strategies and priorities
  
  
• Obtain the views and inputs of regional experts on the design and development of the 10YFP
  
  
• Enhance the capacity of developing countries to effectively implement SCP programmes, including through developing funding mechanisms

To know more about the regional consultations and progress you can click on the table below: