Summary
Highlights
ECOSOC stands for the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, dedicated to advancing economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. It serves as a central platform for discussing international economic and social issues, formulating policy recommendations, and following up on major UN conferences and summits.
ECOSOC was established on June 26, 1945, by the UN Charter. Its headquarters are in New York City, USA, with a sub-office in Geneva, Switzerland. Key objectives include promoting sustainable development, guiding operational activities, facilitating financing for development, coordinating efforts, building partnerships, engaging youth, raising awareness on emerging issues, and promoting peaceful societies.
ECOSOC comprises 54 members elected yearly by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms, with seats allocated based on equitable geographic rotation. Over 3,200 registered non-governmental organizations have consultative status. The council holds one four-week session each July and an annual meeting in April with Finance Ministers and global financial institution leaders.
The president of ECOSOC is elected for a one-year term, with the presidency rotating among UN Regional groups. ECOSOC guides and coordinates the work of its subsidiary bodies, which include regional commissions, functional commissions, expert bodies, standing committees, and ad hoc bodies, influencing a wide range of UN system development work.
ECOSOC's regional commissions include those for Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, and Western Asia. Functional commissions cover statistics, population and development, social development, status of women, narcotic drugs, crime prevention, science and technology for development, and the UN Forum on Forests.
Expert bodies consist of governmental experts, covering areas like dangerous goods transport, accounting and reporting standards, geographical names, and geospatial information management. Other expert bodies have members serving in a personal capacity, focusing on development policy, public administration, tax matters, economic/social/cultural rights, and indigenous issues. Standing committees include the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations and the Committee for Programme and Coordination.
Ad hoc bodies include the Advisory Group on Haiti. Other related subsidiary bodies are the International Narcotics Control Board, the Program Coordinating Board of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, UN Nutrition (formerly UN System Standing Committee on Nutrition), and the Committee for the United Nations Population Award.