The Sustainable Development Issues Network is a collaborative effort among civil society networks and nongovernmental issue caucuses aiming to improve communications and access to information on sustainable development issues. In particular, the initiative aims to improve communications among NGOs engaging in the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The Issues Network evolved out of discussions among NGO issue caucuses and major groups seeking methods and vehicles to increase their effectiveness in contributing to the global dialogue on sustainable development policy at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).

The Issues Network is not meant to compete with or replace the networking and organizing efforts of other NGO bodies, but instead aims to assist and promote the efforts of civil society networks working on sustainable development issues. In this sense, SDIN is not another "network" per se but hopefully a useful tool of NGO networks.