United Nations Economic and Social Council
Encyclopedia
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations
constitutes one of the six (one is not active at the moment) principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC has 54 members and holds one substantive session each year, in July, for a duration of four weeks. Since 1998, it has also held a meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank
and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF).
The ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system.
. It was conceived by the Swedish architect Sven Markelius
, one of the 11 architects in the international team that designed the UN Headquarters. Swedish pine wood has been used around the delegates area, and for the railings and doors.
Special features of the room are the exposed pipes and ducts in the ceiling above the public gallery. The architect believed that anything useful could be left uncovered. The "unfinished" ceiling is commonly seen as a symbolic reminder that the economic and social work of the United Nations never finishes; there will always be something more that can be done to improve the living conditions of the world's people.
. The president is elected for an one-year term and chosen among the small or middle powers represented on ECOSOC.
for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are based on geographical representation with fourteen allocated to African States, eleven to Asian States, six to Eastern European States, ten to Latin American and Caribbean States, and thirteen to Western European and other States.
Participation on an ad hoc basis:
boundaries through global warming
, biodiversity
loss, and disturbance of the nitrogen-cycle balance and other measures of the sustainability of the earth
’s ecosystem
.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
added “rather than viewing growth and sustainability as competing goals on a collision course, we must see them as complementary and mutually supportive imperatives." The report concluded that "Business as usual is not an option."
on the basis of proposals submitted by the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
. The Summit aimed to establish ECOSOC as a quality platform for high-level engagement among member states and with the international financial institutions, the private sector and civil society on emerging global trends, policies and action. Specifically, it was decided to hold biennial high-level Development Cooperation Forums at the level of national leaders by transforming the high-level segment of the Council to review trends in international development cooperation and to promote greater coherence among development activities. Furthermore, the Summit decided to hold annual ministerial-level substantive reviews to assess progress in achieving internationally agreed development goals, particularly the Millennium Development Goals. Subsequent proposals by the High-level panel Report on System-Wide Coherence in November 2006 aimed to establish a forum within ECOSOC as a counter-model to the exclusive club of the G8
and G20. The Forum was to comprise 27 heads of state (L27), corresponding to half of the ECOSOC membership, to meet annually to provide international leadership in the development area. The proposal was not approved by the General Assembly.
Sybren Elias Hannema, The Economic and Social Council, the Group of Eight and the Constitutional Paradox, Un chronicle, number 1, March-May 2006, pp. 54-55.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
constitutes one of the six (one is not active at the moment) principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC has 54 members and holds one substantive session each year, in July, for a duration of four weeks. Since 1998, it has also held a meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
and the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF).
The ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system.
Chamber
The Economic and Social Council Chamber in the United Nations Conference Building, was a gift from SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It was conceived by the Swedish architect Sven Markelius
Sven Markelius
Sven Gottfrid Markelius was one of the most important modernist Swedish architects. Markelius played an important role in the post-war urban planning of Stockholm, for example in the creation of the model suburb of Vällingby .Born in Stockholm in October 1889, he attended the Royal Institute of...
, one of the 11 architects in the international team that designed the UN Headquarters. Swedish pine wood has been used around the delegates area, and for the railings and doors.
Special features of the room are the exposed pipes and ducts in the ceiling above the public gallery. The architect believed that anything useful could be left uncovered. The "unfinished" ceiling is commonly seen as a symbolic reminder that the economic and social work of the United Nations never finishes; there will always be something more that can be done to improve the living conditions of the world's people.
President
The current president of ECOSOC is Ambassador Lazarous Kapambwe of ZambiaZambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. The president is elected for an one-year term and chosen among the small or middle powers represented on ECOSOC.
Members
The Council has 54 member states which are elected by the United Nations General AssemblyUnited Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are based on geographical representation with fourteen allocated to African States, eleven to Asian States, six to Eastern European States, ten to Latin American and Caribbean States, and thirteen to Western European and other States.
| African States (14) | Asian States United Nations geoscheme for Asia -Central Asia:*Kazakhstan*Kyrgyzstan*Tajikistan*Turkmenistan*Uzbekistan-Eastern Asia:*China - the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China **Hong Kong**Macau*Japan*Mongolia*Korea - North Korea and South Korea-Southern Asia:... (11) |
Eastern European States Eastern European Group The Eastern European Group is one of the five unofficial Regional Groups in the United Nations that act as voting blocs and negotiation forums. Regional voting blocs were formed in 1961 to encourage voting to various UN bodies from regional groups... (6) |
Latin American & Caribbean States (10) | Western European & Other States Western European and Others Group The Western European and Others Group is one of several unofficial Regional Groups in the United Nations that act as voting blocs and negotiation forums. Regional voting blocs were formed in 1961 to encourage voting to various UN bodies from regional groups... (13) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cameroon |
 Bangladesh |
 Estonia |
 Argentina |
 Australia |
 Comoros |
 Mainland China |
 Moldova |
 The Bahamas |
 Belgium |
 Côte d'Ivoire |
 India |
 Poland |
 Brazil |
 Canada |
 Egypt |
 Iraq |
 Russia |
 Chile |
 Finland |
 Gabon |
 Japan |
 Slovakia |
 Guatemala |
 Early Modern France |
 Ghana |
 Mongolia |
 Ukraine |
 Peru |
 Germany |
 Guinea-Bissau |
 Pakistan |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis |
 Italy |
|
 Mauritius |
 Philippines |
 Saint Lucia |
 Liechtenstein |
|
 Malawi |
 Qatar |
 Uruguay |
 Malta |
|
 Morocco |
 South Korea |
 Venezuela |
 Norway |
|
 Namibia |
 Saudi Arabia |
 Turkey |
||
 Rwanda |
 United Kingdom |
|||
 Senegal |
 United States |
|||
Observer organizations
Participation on a continuing basis:- African Regional Centre of Technology
- Asian and Pacific Development Centre
- Asian Productivity Organization
- Council of Arab Economic UnityCouncil of Arab Economic UnityThe Council of Arab Economic Unity was established by Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen on 3 June 1957...
- Global Water PartnershipGlobal Water PartnershipThe Global Water Partnership , is an international network that offers practical advice for sustainably managing water resources. It promotes and supports activities that operate at the national and regional levels of development...
- Helsinki CommissionHelsinki CommissionHelsinki Commission may mean:*HELCOM, the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission*U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe...
- Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
- Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development
- Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition
- International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions
- International Center for Public Enterprises in Developing Countries
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyInternational Centre for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyThe International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - was promoted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization as a centre of excellence for research and training in genetic engineering and biotechnology for the benefit of developing countries. The Centre, currently...
- Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationIslamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationIslamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was established by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in May 1979. ISESCO is one of the largest international Islamic organizations and specializes in the fields of education, science, and culture...
- Latin American Energy Organization
- Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment
- Union Des Conseils Economiques Et Sociaux Africains
- West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA)
- World Deserts Foundation
- World Tourism OrganizationWorld Tourism OrganizationThe World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
Participation on an ad hoc basis:
- African Accounting Council
- African Cultural Institute
- Arab Security Studies and Training Center
- Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior
- International Bauxite Association
- International Civil Defence Organisation
- Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences
Functional commissions
- UN Commission for Social DevelopmentCommission for Social DevelopmentThe Commission for Social Development is one of the ten functional commissions established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 1946 to advise and assist it in carrying its work....
- UN Commission on Human RightsUnited Nations Commission on Human RightsThe United Nations Commission on Human Rights was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006...
(UNCHR): Disbanded 2006, replaced by the United Nations Human Rights CouncilUnited Nations Human Rights CouncilThe United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
(UNHRC), a subsidiary organ of the General AssemblyUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
. - Commission on Narcotic DrugsCommission on Narcotic DrugsThe Commission on Narcotic Drugs is the central drug policy-making body within the United Nations system. Its predecessor, the Advisory Committee on the Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs, was established by the first Assembly of the League of Nations on December 15, 1920...
- Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
- Commission on Science and Technology for DevelopmentCommission on Science and Technology for DevelopmentThe United Nations´s Commission on Science and Technology for Development is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council , one of the six main organs of the United Nations....
(CSTD) - Commission on Sustainable DevelopmentCommission on Sustainable DevelopmentThe United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development was established in December 1992 by General Assembly Resolution as a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council, implementing a recommendation in of Agenda 21, the landmark global agreement reached at the June 1992 United...
(CSD) - UN Commission on the Status of WomenUnited Nations Commission on the Status of WomenThe Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council , one of the main UN organs within the United Nations.Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender...
(UN CSW) - Commission on Population and DevelopmentCommission on Population and DevelopmentThe Commission on Population and Development is one of the ten Functional Commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. At its establishment by ECOSOC in October 1946, the Commission's name was "Population Commission" and in December 1994, was changed to "Commission on Population...
- UN Statistical CommissionUnited Nations Statistical CommissionThe United Nations Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division or UNSD, and is a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council...
- United Nations Forum on ForestsUnited Nations Forum on ForestsThe United Nations Forum on Forests ' is a high-level intergovernmental policy forum, composed of all United Nations Member States.-History:...
Regional commissions
- United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeThe United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...
(ECE) - United Nations Economic Commission for AfricaUnited Nations Economic Commission for AfricaThe United Nations Economic Commission for Africa was established in 1958 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to encourage economic cooperation among its member states following a recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly.It is one of five regional commissions.The ECA...
(ECA) - United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanUnited Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanThe United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...
(ECLAC) - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificThe Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific , located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the regional arm of the United Nations Secretariat for the Asian and Pacific region. It was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states...
(ESCAP) - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaThe United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia , headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, is one of the five regional commissions under the administrative direction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. UN-ESCWA promotes economic and social development of Western Asia...
(ESCWA)
Specialized agencies
The Specialized Agencies are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations and each other, inter alia through the coordinating machinery of the Economic and Social Council.- International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
(ILO) - Food and Agriculture OrganizationFood and Agriculture OrganizationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(FAO) - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) - World Bank GroupWorld Bank GroupThe World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
- International Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentInternational Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentThe International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...
(IBRD) - International Development AssociationInternational Development AssociationThe International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...
(IDA) - International Finance CorporationInternational Finance CorporationThe International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
(IFC) - Multilateral Investment Guarantee AgencyMultilateral Investment Guarantee AgencyThe Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency is a member organization of the World Bank Group that offers political risk insurance. It was established to promote foreign direct investment into developing countries. MIGA was founded in 1988 with a capital base of $1 billion and is headquartered in...
(MIGA) - International Centre for Settlement of Investment DisputesInternational Centre for Settlement of Investment DisputesThe International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes , an institution of the World Bank Group based in Washington, D.C., was established in 1966 pursuant to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States...
(ICSID)
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) - International Civil Aviation OrganizationInternational Civil Aviation OrganizationThe International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
(ICAO) - International Maritime OrganizationInternational Maritime OrganizationThe International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
(IMO) - International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication UnionThe International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) - Universal Postal UnionUniversal Postal UnionThe Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
(UPU) - World Meteorological OrganizationWorld Meteorological OrganizationThe World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
(WMO) - World Intellectual Property OrganizationWorld Intellectual Property OrganizationThe World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
(WIPO) - International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentInternational Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentThe International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
(IFAD) - United Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
(UNICEF) - United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUnited Nations Industrial Development OrganizationThe United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
(UNIDO) - United Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Development ProgrammeThe United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP) - United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS)
- International Refugee OrganizationInternational Refugee OrganizationThe International Refugee Organization was founded on April 20, 1946 to deal with the massive refugee problem created by World War II. A Preparatory Commission began operations fourteen months previously. It was a United Nations specialized agency and took over many of the functions of the earlier...
(IRO – ceased to exist in 1952) - International Narcotics Control BoardInternational Narcotics Control BoardThe International Narcotics Control Board is the independent and quasi-judicial control organ for the implementation of the United Nations drug conventions...
(INCB)
Other entities
- United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous IssuesUnited Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous IssuesThe United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is the UN's central coordinating body for matters relating to the concerns and rights of the world's indigenous peoples. "Indigenous person" means native, original, first people and aboriginal. There are more than 370 million indigenous...
(UNPFII) - Sessional and Standing Committees Expert, ad hoc and related bodies
- United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
Consultative status
- See Consultative StatusConsultative StatusConsultative Status is a phrase whose use can be traced to the founding of the United Nations and is used within the UN community to refer to "Non-governmental organizations in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council." Also some international organizations could...
. See also Union of International AssociationsUnion of International AssociationsThe Union of International Associations is a non-profit non-governmental organization researching, under UN mandate, the global civil society and publishing information on international organizations, international meetings, world problems, etc. Headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium...
'The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation'
In a report issued in early July, 2011, the UN body called for spending nearly 2 trillion dollars on green technologies to prevent what it termed “a major planetary catastrophe,” warning that "It is rapidly expanding energy use, mainly driven by fossil fuels, that explains why humanity is on the verge of breaching planetary sustainabilitySustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
boundaries through global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
loss, and disturbance of the nitrogen-cycle balance and other measures of the sustainability of the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
’s ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
added “rather than viewing growth and sustainability as competing goals on a collision course, we must see them as complementary and mutually supportive imperatives." The report concluded that "Business as usual is not an option."
Reform of the Economic and Social Council
For historical reasons, the governance of the multilateral system is complex and fragmented. This has limited the capacity of ECOSOC to influence international policies in trade, finance and investment. Reform proposals aim to enhance the relevance and contribution of the Council. A major reform was approved by the 2005 World Summit2005 World Summit
The 2005 World Summit, 14–16 September 2005, was a follow-up summit meeting to the United Nations' 2000 Millennium Summit, which led to the Millennium Declaration of the Millennium Development Goals...
on the basis of proposals submitted by the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
. The Summit aimed to establish ECOSOC as a quality platform for high-level engagement among member states and with the international financial institutions, the private sector and civil society on emerging global trends, policies and action. Specifically, it was decided to hold biennial high-level Development Cooperation Forums at the level of national leaders by transforming the high-level segment of the Council to review trends in international development cooperation and to promote greater coherence among development activities. Furthermore, the Summit decided to hold annual ministerial-level substantive reviews to assess progress in achieving internationally agreed development goals, particularly the Millennium Development Goals. Subsequent proposals by the High-level panel Report on System-Wide Coherence in November 2006 aimed to establish a forum within ECOSOC as a counter-model to the exclusive club of the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
and G20. The Forum was to comprise 27 heads of state (L27), corresponding to half of the ECOSOC membership, to meet annually to provide international leadership in the development area. The proposal was not approved by the General Assembly.
See also
- Copenhagen ConsensusCopenhagen ConsensusCopenhagen Consensus is a project that seeks to establish priorities for advancing global welfare using methodologies based on the theory of welfare economics. It was conceived and organized by Bjørn Lomborg, the author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and the then director of the Danish...
- French Economic and Social CouncilFrench Economic and Social CouncilThe Economic, Social and Environmental Council of France is a consultative assembly...
; Economic and Social CommitteeEconomic and Social CommitteeThe European Economic and Social Committee is a body of the European Union established in 1958. It is a consultative assembly composed of employers , employees and representatives of various other interests...
of the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958... - International Court of JusticeInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
- International Hydrological ProgrammeInternational Hydrological ProgrammeThe International Hydrological Programme is a scientific programme of UNESCO that focuses on the use and availability of water.- On-line resources :*...
- UN General Assembly
- UN Secretariat
- UN Security Council
- UN Trusteeship Council
- UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
- United Nations Interpretation ServiceUnited Nations Interpretation ServiceThe United Nations Interpretation Service is a part of the Meetings and Publishing Division of the UN's Department for General Assembly and Conference Management...
- United Nations SystemUnited Nations SystemThe United Nations system consists of the United Nations, its subsidiary organs , the specialized agencies, and affiliated organizations...
External links
- United Nations Economic and Social Council
- United Nations Economic and Social Development page
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
- Congo – Conference of UN NGO's
- Global Policy Forum – Social and Economic Policy at the UN
- United Nations
Sybren Elias Hannema, The Economic and Social Council, the Group of Eight and the Constitutional Paradox, Un chronicle, number 1, March-May 2006, pp. 54-55.