United Nations Economic and Social Council: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|One of six principal organs of the UN}} |
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{{Use British English Oxford spelling|date=November 2010}} |
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{{redirect|ECOSOC|the political ideology|Eco-socialism}} |
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{{Short description|Principal organ of the United Nations}} |
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{{use Oxford spelling|date=November 2010}}{{Use American English|date=April 2024}} |
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{{Infobox United Nations |
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| name = United Nations Economic and Social Council |
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{{Infobox legislature |
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| image = United Nations Economic and Social Council chamber New York City 2.JPG |
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| logo_pic = Emblem of the United Nations.svg |
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| logo_res = 120px |
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| type = Principal organ of the United Nations |
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| name = United Nations<br>Economic and Social Council |
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| acronyms = ECOSOC |
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| leader1_type = [[President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council|President]] |
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| leader1 = [[Paula Narváez]] |
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| foundation = {{start date and age|1945|6|26|df=yes}} |
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| status = Active |
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| website = {{URL|https://ecosoc.un.org}} |
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| established = {{start date and age|1945|df=yes}} |
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| affiliations = [[United Nations]] |
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| headquarters = [[New York City|New York]], United States |
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| website = [https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/ www.un.org/ecosoc] |
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| parent = [[United Nations]] |
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| subsidiaries = |
| subsidiaries = |
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| |
| structure1 = File:United Nations Economic and Social Council Membership.svg |
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| structure1_res = 250px |
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<div style="float:left;">{{legend|#0000ff|African States (14)}}</div><br /> |
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| seats = {{legend|#0000ff|African states (14)}} |
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{{legend|#339900|Asia-Pacific states (11)}} |
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<div style="float:left;">{{legend|#cc0000|Eastern European States (6)}}</div><br /> |
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{{legend|#cc0000|Eastern European states (6)}} |
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<div style="float:left;">{{legend|#cc3399|Latin American and Caribbean States (10)}}</div><br /> |
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{{legend|#cc3399|Latin American and Caribbean states (10)}} |
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{{legend|#cc9900|Western European and other states (13)}} |
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{{portal-inline|Politics|size=tiny}} |
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| session_room = United Nations Economic and Social Council chamber New York City 2.JPG |
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}} |
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| session_alt = United Nations Economic and Social Council chamber at United Nations headquarters |
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{{Sidebar |
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| meeting_place = United Nations Economic and Social Council chamber at [[United Nations headquarters]] |
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|image= [[File:Emblem of the United Nations.svg|100px]] |
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| above = Principal Organs |
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| heading1=[[United Nations Secretariat]] |
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| heading2=United Nations General Assembly |
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| heading3=[[International Court of Justice]] |
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| heading4=[[United Nations Security Council]] |
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| heading5=United Nations Economic and Social Council |
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| heading6=United Nations Trusteeship Council |
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}} |
}} |
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The '''United Nations Economic and Social Council''' ('''ECOSOC''') is one of the [[United Nations System#Six principal organs|six principal organs]] of the [[United Nations]], responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organization, specifically in regards to the [[List of specialized agencies of the United Nations|fifteen specialized agencies]], the eight functional commissions, and the five regional commissions under its jurisdiction. |
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ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations System.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/index.shtml |title=About ECOSOC |publisher=ECOSOC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102164036/https://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/index.shtml |archive-date= Nov 2, 2019 }}</ref> It has 54 members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2020#vnrs|title=High-Level Political Forum 2020 (HLPF 2020) |website=Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform|access-date=2020-01-27}}</ref> In addition to a rotating membership of 54 UN member states, [[List of organizations with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council|over 1,600 nongovernmental organizations]] have [[consultative status]] with the Council to participate in the work of the United Nations.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Basu|first=Rumki|title=The United Nations|publisher=Sterling|year=2019|isbn=978-81-207-2775-5|page=83 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IjWMX9nCa0sC&pg=PA83 }}</ref> |
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The '''United Nations Economic and Social Council''' ('''ECOSOC'''; {{lang-fr|Conseil économique et social des Nations unies}}, {{lang|fr|'''CESNU'''}}) is one of the six principal organs of the [[United Nations]], responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organisation, specifically in regards to the 15 specialised agencies, the eight functional commissions and the five regional commissions under its jurisdiction. |
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ECOSOC holds one four-week session each year in July, and since 1998 has also held an annual meeting in April with finance ministers of heading key committees of the [[World Bank Group|World Bank]] and the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF). Additionally, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), which reviews the implementation of the [[2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development]], is convened under the auspices of the Council every July.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to csonet.org {{!}} Website of the UN DESA NGO Branch. At your service |url=https://csonet.org/?menu=123 |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=csonet.org |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111170415/https://csonet.org/?menu=123 |archive-date=2023-01-11 }}</ref> |
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The Council serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations system.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/index.shtml |title=Background Information |publisher=UN Economic and Social Council}}</ref> [[List of organizations with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council|A number of non-governmental organisations]] have been granted [[consultative status]] to the Council to participate in the work of the United Nations. |
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It holds one four-week session each year in July, and since 1998, it has also held an annual meeting in April with finance ministers heading key committees of the [[World Bank Group|World Bank]] and the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF). |
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== President == |
== President == |
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{{main|President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council}} |
{{main|President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council}} |
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The president of the Council is elected for a one-year term and chosen from the small |
The president of the Council is elected for a one-year term and chosen from the small or medium sized states represented on the Council at the beginning of each new session.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/27/c_137350465.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226173201/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/27/c_137350465.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 26, 2019 |title=UN ECOSOC Elects New President |author=Mu Xuequan |date=27 July 2018 |website=Xinhuanet |publisher=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref> The presidency rotates among the [[United Nations Regional Groups]] to ensure equal representation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=United Nations Official Document, Rule 20.2|url=https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/5715/Rev.2|access-date=2020-09-15|website=un.org|archive-date=2020-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910222604/https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/5715/Rev.2|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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[[Paula Narváez]], Representative of Chile, was elected as the seventy-ninth president of the Council on 27 July 2023. She succeeded [[Lachezara Stoeva]], who was elected as the seventy-eighth president of the Council on 25 July 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022: H.E. Lachezara Stoeva (Bulgaria) |url=https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/2022-He-lachezara-stoeva |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906090957/https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/2022-He-lachezara-stoeva |archive-date=Sep 6, 2023 |website=Economic and Social Council United Nations}}</ref> succeeding [[Collen Vixen Kelapile]] of Botswana.<ref name="president">{{Cite web |url=https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/president-ecosoc |title=President of ECOSOC |website=ECOSOC|access-date=26 July 2018|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726234124/https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/president-ecosoc |archive-date= 26 July 2018 }}</ref> |
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== Members == |
== Members == |
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{{See also|List of members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council}} |
{{See also|List of members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council}} |
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The Council consists of 54 |
The Council consists of 54 Member States, which are elected yearly by the [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]] for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are allocated ensuring equitable geographic rotation among the United Nations regional groups.<ref>{{cite web |title=Members |url=https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/content/members |website=UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC and SOCIAL COUNCIL |access-date=18 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/ga12153.doc.htm |title=General Assembly Elects 19 Economic and Social Council Members to Terms Beginning 1 January 2020, Adopts Resolution Commemorating Signing of United Nations Charter |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=14 June 2019 |website=United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases |publisher=United Nations |access-date=1 January 2020}}</ref> Outgoing members are eligible for immediate re-election, and some seats are held by ''de facto'' permanent members. |
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=== History === |
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In 1945 when the [[United Nations Charter]] was originally signed, the Economic and Social Council consisted of 18 seats. The formal concept of the [[United Nations Regional Groups]] did not yet exist, and unlike the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]], there was no "gentlemen's agreement" between the [[superpower]]s to assign ECOSOC seats. Regardless, with 4 exceptions out of 102 elections ([[List_of_members_of_the_United_Nations_Economic_and_Social_Council#Non-permanent|see list]]), a relatively stable pattern emerged and held until 1960:<ref name="ecosoc1963">Gregg, Robert W. “The Economic and Social Council: Politics of Membership.” The Western Political Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 1, 1963, pp. 109–32. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/445962. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.</ref>{{efn|For comparison purposes, applying the Regional Groups retroactively: |
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* 1 seat to the African Group |
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* 3 seats to the Asian Group and Taiwan |
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* 3 seats to the Eastern European Group |
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* 4 seats to the Latin American and Caribbean Group |
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* 7 seats to Western European and Others Group |
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(The Republic of China (Taiwan) never joined the Asian Group.<ref name="equitable">{{cite report |author1=Agam, Hasmy |author2=Sam Daws |author3=Terence O'Brien |author4=Ramesh Takur |date=26 March 1999 |title=What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century |url=http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/equitable.pdf |publisher=United Nations University |access-date=5 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="ecosoc1961">Padelford, Norman J. “Politics and the Future of ECOSOC.” International Organization, vol. 15, no. 4, 1961, pp. 564–80. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2705552. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.</ref><ref>Bailey, Sydney D. “China and the United Nations.” The World Today, vol. 27, no. 9, 1971, pp. 365–72. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40394545. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.</ref>)}} |
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* 5 seats to the [[Permanent Five]] of the UNSC |
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* 4 seats to [[Latin America]] |
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* 2 seats to [[Eastern Europe]] |
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* 1 seat to the [[British Commonwealth]] |
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* 3 seats to the "[[Near East|Near]] and [[Far East]]"{{efn|Various nonstandard, inconsistent names, including also "Near and Middle East", were used before Africa and Asia became Regional Groups. Sources published after the introduction of the Regional Groups retroactively name this group "Asia-Africa" or similar, but this name was not used at the creation of ECOSOC.<ref name="equitable">{{cite report |author1=Agam, Hasmy |author2=Sam Daws |author3=Terence O'Brien |author4=Ramesh Takur |date=26 March 1999 |title=What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century |url=http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/equitable.pdf |publisher=United Nations University |access-date=5 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="ecosoc1963"/><ref name="ecosoc1961">Padelford, Norman J. “Politics and the Future of ECOSOC.” International Organization, vol. 15, no. 4, 1961, pp. 564–80. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2705552. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.</ref>}} |
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* 3 seats to [[Western Europe]] |
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As the number of United Nations members grew with [[decolonization]], the pattern began to break down starting in 1961, with nations in [[Africa]] winning elections to seats formerly held by Western Europe and the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]].<ref name="ecosoc1963"/>{{efn|For comparison purposes: |
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* 2 seats to the African Group |
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* 3 seats to the Asian Group |
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* 3 seats to the Eastern European Group |
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* 4 seats to the Latin American and Caribbean Group |
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* 6 seats to Western European and Others Group}} |
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In 1965, the Charter was amended to increase the size of ECOSOC to 27 seats, and the Regional Groups were formally introduced. The seat distribution became:<ref name="ecosoclist">{{cite web |title=Economic and Social Council Membership |url=https://research.un.org/en/unmembers/ecosocmembers |publisher=Economic and Social Council}}</ref> |
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* 7 seats to the [[African Group]] |
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* 5 seats to the [[Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States|Asian Group]] |
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* 3 seats to the [[Eastern European Group]] |
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* 5 seats to the [[Latin American and Caribbean Group]] |
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* 7 seats to the [[Western European and Others Group]] |
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In 1973, the Charter was amended again to increase the size of ECOSOC to 54 seats. The seat distribution became:<ref name="ecosoclist"/> |
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=== Current Members<ref>{{cite web |title=Members |url=https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/content/members |website=UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC and SOCIAL COUNCIL |accessdate=18 September 2019}}</ref> === |
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* 14 seats to the [[African Group]] |
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* 11 seats to the [[Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States|Asia-Pacific Group]] (renamed from the Asian Group in 2011) |
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* 6 seats to the [[Eastern European Group]] |
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* 10 seats to the [[Latin American and Caribbean Group]] |
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* 13 seats to the [[Western European and Others Group]] |
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=== Current members === |
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{| class="wikitable" |
{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
|- |
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! Term |
! Term |
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! '''[[African Group|African States]] |
! '''[[African Group|African States]]''' |
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! '''[[Asia-Pacific Group|Asia-Pacific States]] |
! '''[[Asia-Pacific Group|Asia-Pacific States]]''' |
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! '''[[Eastern European Group|Eastern European <br />States]] |
! '''[[Eastern European Group|Eastern European <br />States]]''' |
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! '''[[Latin American and Caribbean Group|Latin American & <br />Caribbean States]] |
! '''[[Latin American and Caribbean Group|Latin American & <br />Caribbean States]] ''' |
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! '''[[Western European and Others Group|Western European & <br />Other States]] ''' |
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|- |
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|'''2025 – 2027'''<ref>https://x.com/UN_PGA/status/1799425203682041932</ref> |
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| {{flag|Algeria}} <br> {{flag|Ivory Coast}} <br> {{flag|Djibouti}} <br> {{flag|South Africa}} <br> {{flag|Tanzania}} |
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| {{flag|Bangladesh}} <br> {{flag|Saudi Arabia}} <br> {{flag|Sri Lanka}} <br> {{flag|Uzbekistan}} |
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| {{flag|Armenia}} <br> {{flag|Azerbaijan}} |
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| {{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}} <br> {{flag|Dominican Republic}} <br> {{flag|Mexico}} |
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| {{flag|Australia}} <br> {{flag|Austria}} <br> {{flag|Canada}} <br> {{flag|Finland}} <br> {{flag|Italy}} <br> {{flag|Netherlands}} <br> {{flag|Switzerland}} |
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! '''[[Western European and Others Group|Western European & <br />Other States]] (13)''' |
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|- style="border-top: 2px solid;" |
|- style="border-top: 2px solid;" |
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|'''2020- 2022''' |
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| {{flagcountry|Benin}} <br> {{flagcountry|Botswana}} <br> {{flagcountry|Congo}} <br> {{flagcountry|Gabon}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Bangladesh}} <br> {{flagcountry|China}} <br> {{flagdeco|South Korea}} [[Republic of Korea]] <br> {{flagcountry|Thailand}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Latvia}} <br> {{flagcountry|Montenegro}} <br> {{flagcountry|Russia|name=Russian Federation}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Colombia}} <br> {{flagcountry|Nicaragua}} <br> {{flagcountry|Panama}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Australia}} <br> {{flagcountry|Finland}} <br> {{flagcountry|Norway}} <br> {{flagcountry|Switzerland}} |
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|'''2024 – 2026'''<ref>{{cite web |title=ECOSOC Membership by Year |url=https://research.un.org/en/unmembers/ecosocmembers |publisher=Dag Hammarskjöld Library |access-date=1 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Türkiye elected to UN Economic and Social Council |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-elected-to-un-economic-and-social-council-/2917951 |access-date=1 January 2024 |work=Anadolu Agency |date=8 June 2023}}</ref> |
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|-style="border-top: 2px solid;" |
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| {{flag|Kenya}} <br> {{flag|Mauritania}} <br> {{flag|Nigeria}} <br> {{flag|Senegal}} <br> {{flag|Zambia}} |
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|'''2019 - 2021''' |
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| {{ |
| {{flag|Japan}} <br> {{flag|Nepal}} <br> {{flag|Pakistan}} |
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| {{flag|Poland}} <br> {{flagicon|white}} ''Vacant''{{efn|Election pending between [[North Macedonia]] and [[Russia]].|group=note}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Iran|name=Iran (Islamic Republic of)}} <br>{{flagcountry|Pakistan}} <br>{{flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}} <br>{{flagcountry|Turkmenistan}} |
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| {{flag|Haiti}} <br> {{flag|Paraguay}} <br> {{flag|Suriname}} <br> {{flag|Uruguay}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Armenia}}<br>{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |
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| {{flag|France}} <br> {{flag|Germany}} <br> {{flag|Liechtenstein}} <br> {{flag|Spain}} <br> {{flag|Turkey}} <br> {{flag|United Kingdom}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Brazil}} <br>{{flagcountry|Jamaica}} <br>{{flagcountry|Paraguay}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Canada}} <br>{{flagcountry|Luxembourg}} <br>{{flagcountry|Netherlands}} <br>{{flagcountry|United States|name=United States of America}} |
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|-style="border-top: 2px solid;" |
|- style="border-top: 2px solid;" |
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|''' |
|'''2023 – 2025''' |
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| {{ |
| {{flag|Botswana}} <br> {{flag|Cape Verde}} <br> {{flag|Cameroon}} <br> {{flag|Equatorial Guinea}} |
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| {{flag|China}} <br> {{flag|Laos}} <br> {{flag|Qatar}} <br> {{flagdeco|South Korea}} [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]] |
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| {{flagcountry|India}} <br> {{flagcountry|Japan}} <br> {{flagcountry|Philippines}} |
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| {{flag|Slovakia}} <br> {{flag|Slovenia}} |
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| {{flagcountry|Belarus}} |
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| {{ |
| {{flag|Brazil}} <br> {{flag|Colombia}} <br> {{flag|Costa Rica}} |
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| {{flag|Denmark}} <br> {{flag|New Zealand}} <br> {{flag|Sweden}} |
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| {{flagcountry|France}} <br> {{flagcountry|Germany}} <br> {{flagcountry|Ireland}} <br> {{flagcountry|Malta}} <br> {{flagcountry|Turkey}} / {{flagcountry|Spain}}{{efn|Spain was elected to finish the term of [[Turkey]] on 14 June 2019, commencing 1 January 2020}} |
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|- style="border-top: 2px solid;" |
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|'''2022 – 2024'''<ref name="2022_term_members">{{cite web |title=Announcement of 22 new members for 2022 term |url=https://twitter.com/UNECOSOC/status/1402300886463004672 |website=UN ECOSOC President - Official Twitter Account of UN ECOSOC}}</ref> |
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| {{flag|Côte d'Ivoire}} <br> {{flag|Tunisia}} <br> {{flag|Tanzania}} <br> {{flag|Eswatini}} <br> {{flag|Mauritius}} |
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| {{Flag|Afghanistan|2013}} {{efn|The United Nations currently recognizes the [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]] as the government of Afghanistan instead of the ''de facto'' ruling government, the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]]|group=note}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/01/world/americas/united-nations-taliban-myanmar.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/01/world/americas/united-nations-taliban-myanmar.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|title=U.N. Seats Denied, for Now, to Afghanistan's Taliban and Myanmar's Junta|first=Rick|last=Gladstone|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2021-12-01|accessdate=2022-04-07}}{{cbignore}}</ref> <br> {{flag|India}} <br> {{flag|Oman}} <br> {{flag|Kazakhstan}} |
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| {{flag|Croatia}} <br> {{flag|Czechia}} <br> |
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| {{flag|Belize}} <br> {{flag|Chile}} <br> {{flag|Peru}} <br> |
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| {{flag|Belgium}} <br> {{flag|Italy}} <br> {{flag|Canada}} <br> {{flag|United States}} |
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|} |
|} |
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{{notelist|group=note}} |
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=== Observer Inter-Governmental Autonomous Organisations === |
=== Observer Inter-Governmental Autonomous Organisations === |
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Line 106: | Line 144: | ||
* [[International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology]] |
* [[International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology]] |
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* [[Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] |
* [[Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] |
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* Latin American Energy |
* Latin American Energy Organization |
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* [[Organization of Ibero-American States|Organisation of Ibero-American States]] |
* [[Organization of Ibero-American States|Organisation of Ibero-American States]] |
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* [[Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries]] |
* [[Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries]] |
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Line 113: | Line 151: | ||
* [[Economic Community of West African States#West African Economic and Monetary Union|West African Economic and Monetary Union]] |
* [[Economic Community of West African States#West African Economic and Monetary Union|West African Economic and Monetary Union]] |
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* [[World Deserts Foundation]] |
* [[World Deserts Foundation]] |
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* [[World Tourism Organization]] |
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}} |
}} |
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Line 123: | Line 160: | ||
* Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior |
* Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior |
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* International Bauxite Association |
* International Bauxite Association |
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* International Civil Defence Organisation |
* [[International Civil Defence Organisation]] |
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* [[Latin American Social Sciences Institute]] |
* [[Latin American Social Sciences Institute]] |
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}} |
}} |
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== |
== Commissions == |
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=== |
=== Functional commissions === |
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==== Active ==== |
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The following are the active functional commission of the Council:<ref name="Subsidiary Bodies">{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/content/subsidiary-bodies-ecosoc |title=Subsidiary Bodies of ECOSOC |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=United Nations Economic and Social Council |publisher=United Nations |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref> |
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The following are the active functional commission of the Council:<ref name="Subsidiary Bodies">{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/content/subsidiary-bodies-ecosoc |title=Subsidiary Bodies of ECOSOC |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=United Nations Economic and Social Council |publisher=United Nations |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="Handbook">{{cite journal |editor1-last=Manhire |editor1-first=Vanessa |date=2019 |title=United Nations Handbook 2019–20 |journal=United Nations Handbook: An Annual Guide for Those Working with and within the United Nations |url=https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/peace-rights-and-security/work-with-the-un-and-other-partners/un-handbook-2019-20 |edition=57th |location=Wellington |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand |pages=144–198 |issn=0110-1951}}</ref> |
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* [[Commission for Social Development|UN Commission for Social Development]] |
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* [[Commission on Narcotic Drugs]] |
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* Commission on |
* [[Commission on Narcotic Drugs]] (CND) |
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* [[Commission on Population and Development]] (CPD) |
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* [[Commission on Science and Technology for Development]] (CSTD) |
* [[Commission on Science and Technology for Development]] (CSTD) |
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* [[United Nations Commission on the Status of Women| |
* [[United Nations Commission on the Status of Women|Commission on the Status of Women]] (CSW) |
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* [[United Nations Statistical Commission|Statistical Commission]] |
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* [[Commission on Population and Development]] |
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* [[Commission for Social Development]] (CSocD) |
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* [[United Nations Statistical Commission|UN Statistical Commission]] |
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* [[United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice|Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice]] (CCPCJ) |
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* [[United Nations Forum on Forests]] |
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* [[United Nations Forum on Forests|Forum on Forests]] (UNFF) |
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=== Disbanded === |
==== Disbanded ==== |
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The following commissions were disbanded by the Council and replaced by other bodies: |
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The following commissions were disbanded by the Council and replaced by other bodies:<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=UN Creates New Human Rights Body |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4810538.stm |work=[[BBC]] |location=London |date=15 March 2006 |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100043826 |title=United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=UIA Open Yearbook |publisher= Union of International Associations |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref> |
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* [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights]] (UNCHR) |
* [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights]] (UNCHR) |
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** Disbanded in 2006 and replaced by the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] (UNHRC), a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly. |
** Disbanded in 2006 and replaced by the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] (UNHRC), a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=UN Creates New Human Rights Body |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4810538.stm |work=[[BBC]] |location=London |date=15 March 2006 |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100052982 |title=United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=UIA Open Yearbook |publisher=Union of International Associations |access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> |
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* [[Commission on Sustainable Development]] (CSD) |
* [[Commission on Sustainable Development]] (CSD) |
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** Disbanded in 2013 and replaced by the [[High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development]] (HLPF), a joint subsidiary body of the General Assembly and ECOSOC. |
** Disbanded in 2013 and replaced by the [[High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development]] (HLPF), a joint subsidiary body of the General Assembly and ECOSOC.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100043826 |title=United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=UIA Open Yearbook |publisher= Union of International Associations |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/67/290 |body=A |session=67 |type=R |resolution_number=290 |title= Format and Organizational Aspects of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development |date=9 July 2013 |accessdate=25 August 2020}}</ref> |
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=== Regional commissions === |
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The following are the active regional commissions of the Council:<ref name="Handbook"/> |
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* [[United Nations Economic Commission for Europe]] (ECE) |
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* [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa]] (ECA) |
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* [[United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean]] (ECLAC) |
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* [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]] (ESCAP) |
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* [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia]] (ESCWA) |
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== Committees and other bodies == |
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The following are some of the other bodies that the Council oversees in some capacity:<ref name="Handbook"/> |
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=== Standing committees === |
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* Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) |
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* [[United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations|Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations]] |
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*Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies |
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=== Expert bodies === |
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* [[Committee for Development Policy]] (CDP) |
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* [[Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights]] (CESCR) |
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* [[United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management|Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management]] (UN-GGIM) |
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* [[United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters|Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters]] |
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* [[United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration|Committee of Experts on Public Administration]] (CEPA) |
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* Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals |
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* [[United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names|Group of Experts on Geographical Names]] (UNGEGN) |
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* [[Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting]] |
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* [[United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues|Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues]] (UNPFII) |
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=== Other subsidiary bodies === |
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== Regional commissions == |
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* System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) |
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* [[United Nations Economic Commission for Europe]] |
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* High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM) |
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* [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa]] |
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* High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) |
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* [[United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean]] |
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* |
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* [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]] |
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* [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia]] |
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== |
== Specialized agencies == |
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{{See also|List of specialized agencies of the United Nations}} |
{{See also|List of specialized agencies of the United Nations}} |
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The |
The specialized agencies of the United Nations are autonomous organizations working within the United Nations System, meaning that while they report their activities to the Economic and Social Council, they are mostly free to their own devices. Each agency must negotiate with the Council as to what their relationship will look and work like. This leads to a system where different organizations maintain different types of relationships with the Council.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DNweDAAAQBAJ&q=These+specialised+agencies+are+autonomous+organisations+working+with+the+United+Nations+and+each+other+inter+alia+through+the+coordinating+machinery+of+the+Economic+and+Social+Council.&pg=PA24|title=Global Political Economy: Theory and Practice|last=Cohn|first=Theodore H.|date=2016-05-05|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317334828|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalization101.org/un-specialized-agencies/ |title=UN Specialized Agencies |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Globalization 101 |publisher=The Levin Institute |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref> Some were created before the United Nations existed and were integrated into the system, others were created by the League of Nations and were integrated by its successor, while others were created by the United Nations itself to meet emerging needs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kurtas|first=Susan|title=Research Guides: UN System Documentation: Specialized Agencies|url=https://research.un.org/en/docs/unsystem/sa|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Research Guides at United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library |language=en}}</ref> |
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The following is a list of the specialized agencies reporting to the Council:<ref>{{cite |
The following is a list of the specialized agencies reporting to the Council:<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/funds-programmes-specialized-agencies-and-others/ |title=Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies and Others |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=United Nations |publisher=United Nations |access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref> |
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* [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO) |
* [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO) |
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* [[World Meteorological Organization]] (WMO) |
* [[World Meteorological Organization]] (WMO) |
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== {{anchor|' The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation'}}"World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation" == |
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== Other related entities, mechanisms and processes == |
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* [[Financing for Development]], the [[Monterrey Consensus]] and Doha Declaration |
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* Development Cooperation Forum |
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* [[United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues]] (UNPFII) |
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* Sessional and Standing Committees Expert, ad hoc and related bodies |
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* [[United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund]] (UNICEF) |
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* [[United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of NCDs]] (UNIATF) |
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* [[International Federation for Family Development]] has general consultative status |
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In a report issued in early July 2011, the UN called for spending nearly US$2 trillion 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 [[sustainability]] boundaries through [[global warming]], [[biodiversity loss]], and disturbance of the [[nitrogen-cycle]] balance and other measures of the sustainability of the [[earth]]'s [[ecosystem]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Economic and Social Survey 2011 {{!}} Department of Economic and Social Affairs |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-and-social-survey-4/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=United Nations }}</ref> |
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== {{anchor|'The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation'}}"World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation" == |
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[[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".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/tech-news/un-calls-for-technological-revolution-or-major-planetary-catastrophe_100547662.html |title=The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation' |access-date=23 February 2011 |publisher=Thaindian News |archive-date=25 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025074928/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/tech-news/un-calls-for-technological-revolution-or-major-planetary-catastrophe_100547662.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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In a report issued in early July 2011, the UN called for spending nearly US$2 trillion 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 [[sustainability]] boundaries through [[global warming]], [[biodiversity loss]], and disturbance of the [[nitrogen-cycle]] balance and other measures of the sustainability of the [[earth]]'s [[ecosystem]]". |
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[[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".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/tech-news/un-calls-for-technological-revolution-or-major-planetary-catastrophe_100547662.html |title=The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation' |accessdate=23 February 2011 |publisher=Thaindian News}}</ref> |
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== Reform of the Economic and Social Council == |
== Reform of the Economic and Social Council == |
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The governance of the multilateral system has historically been 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 Summit]] based on proposals submitted by secretary-general [[Kofi Annan]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/sep/20/mainsection.commentanddebate2 Ian Williams, "Annan has paid his dues". ''The Guardian'', 19 September 2005]</ref> The Summit aimed to establish ECOSOC as a quality platform for high-level engagement among member states and with international financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society on global trends, policies, and action. It resolved to hold biennial high-level Development Cooperation Forums at the national-leadership level, transforming the high-level segment of the Council to review trends in international development cooperation and promote greater coherence in development activities. At the Summit it was also decided to hold annual ministerial-level substantive reviews to assess progress in achieving internationally agreed on development goals (particularly the [[Millennium Development Goals]]). These "Annual Ministerial Reviews" will be replaced by the High-Level Political Forum from 2016 onwards after the new post-MDG/post-2015 [[Sustainable Development Goals]] are agreed upon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=400&nr=1801&menu=35 |date=8 July 2015 |author=UNDESA |title=Session 18: Reviewing and monitoring progress: What have we learned and how can it advance implementation? |website=Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform|access-date=2020-03-18}}</ref> |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2010}} |
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Governance of the multilateral system has historically been 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 Summit]] on the basis of proposals submitted by secretary-general [[Kofi Annan]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/sep/20/mainsection.commentanddebate2 Ian Williams, "Annan has paid his dues". ''The Guardian'', 19 September 2005]</ref> The Summit aimed to establish ECOSOC as a quality platform for high-level engagement among member states and with international financial institutions, the private sector and civil society on global trends, policies and action. It was decided to hold biennial high-level Development Cooperation Forums at the national-leadership level by transforming the high-level segment of the Council to review trends in international development cooperation and promote greater coherence in development activities. At the Summit it was also decided to hold annual ministerial-level substantive reviews to assess progress in achieving internationally agreed development goals (particularly the [[Millennium Development Goals]]). These "Annual Ministerial Reviews" will be replaced by the [[High Level Political Forum]] from 2016 onwards after the new post-MDG/post-2015 [[Sustainable Development Goals]] are agreed. |
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Subsequent proposals by the High-Level Panel Report on System-Wide Coherence in November 2006 aimed to establish a forum within the ECOSOC as a counter-model to the exclusive clubs of the [[G8]] and [[G20]]. The Forum was to comprise 27 heads of |
Subsequent proposals by the High-Level Panel Report on System-Wide Coherence in November 2006 aimed to establish a forum within the ECOSOC as a counter-model to the exclusive clubs of the [[G8]] and [[G20]]. The Forum was to comprise 27 heads of state (L27, corresponding to half of ECOSOC's membership) to meet annually and provide international leadership in the development area. This proposal however, was not approved by the General Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gca.satrapia.com/+turkmenistan-elected-to-ecosoc-for-2019-2021+|title=Turkmenistan Elected to ECOSOC for 2019-2021 |date=15 June 2018 |website= The Gazette of Central Asia|access-date=2020-03-18}}</ref> |
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== {{anchor|Chamber}}Chamber design == |
== {{anchor|Chamber}}Chamber design == |
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The Economic and Social Council Chamber in the [[Headquarters of the United Nations|United Nations Conference Building]] was a gift from [[Sweden]]. It was conceived by Swedish architect [[Sven Markelius]], one of the 11 architects in the international team that designed the UN headquarters. Wood from Swedish pine trees was used in the delegates' area for the railings and doors. |
The Economic and Social Council Chamber in the [[Headquarters of the United Nations|United Nations Conference Building]] was a gift from [[Sweden]]. It was conceived by Swedish architect [[Sven Markelius]], one of the 11 architects in the international team that designed the UN headquarters. Wood from Swedish pine trees was used in the delegates' area for the railings and doors.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anand |first1=Ankit |title=Project Work of Political Science |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/219915387/Project-Work-of-Political-Science |website=scribd |publisher=Chanakya National Law University |access-date=9 February 2021}}</ref> |
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The pipes and ducts in the ceiling above the public gallery were deliberately left exposed; the architect believed that anything useful could be left uncovered. The "unfinished" ceiling is a symbolic reminder that the economic and social work of the United Nations is never finished; there will always be something more |
The pipes and ducts in the ceiling above the public gallery were deliberately left exposed; the architect believed that anything useful could be left uncovered. The "unfinished" ceiling is a symbolic reminder that the economic and social work of the United Nations is never finished; there will always be something more that can be done to improve living conditions for the world's people.<ref>UN website.</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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* [[List of organizations |
* [[List of organizations with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council]] |
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* [[Copenhagen Consensus]] |
* [[Copenhagen Consensus]] |
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* [[French Economic and Social Council]] |
* [[French Economic and Social Council]] |
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* [[Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics]] |
* [[Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics]] |
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* [[Chapter X of the United Nations Charter]] |
* [[Chapter X of the United Nations Charter]] |
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* [[G20]] |
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== Notes == |
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{{notelist}} |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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{{notelist}} |
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== Further reading == |
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* Mathews-Schultz, A. (2020). "[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-science-history/article/untold-history-of-the-united-nations-the-us-state-department-and-organized-interests-in-the-postwar-era/ABCC8E531F41E07B1F69960A2100FC85 The Untold History of the United Nations, the US State Department, and Organized Interests in the Postwar Era.]" ''Social Science History,'' ''44''(2), 197–222. |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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{{Commons category}} |
{{Commons category}} |
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* |
* {{official|https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/}} – United Nations Economic and Social Council |
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** [https://www.un.org/en |
** [https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/about-us UN Economic and Social Council – Background] |
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* [https://www.un.org/en/ |
* [https://www.un.org/en/desa United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs] |
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* [https://www.un.org/en/development/desa United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs] |
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* [http://www.ngocongo.org Congo – Conference of UN NGO's] |
* [http://www.ngocongo.org Congo – Conference of UN NGO's] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060905211037/http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/un/reformindex.htm Global Policy Forum – Social and Economic Policy at the UN] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060905211037/http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/un/reformindex.htm Global Policy Forum – Social and Economic Policy at the UN] (archived 5 September 2006) |
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* [https://www.un.org/ United Nations] |
* [https://www.un.org/ United Nations] |
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* [http://www.un.org/french/pubs/chronique/2006/numero1/0106p54.htm The Group of Eight, ECOSOC and the Constitutional Paradox] {{in lang|fr}} |
* [http://www.un.org/french/pubs/chronique/2006/numero1/0106p54.htm The Group of Eight, ECOSOC and the Constitutional Paradox] {{in lang|fr}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:United Nations Economic And Social Council}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:United Nations Economic And Social Council}} |
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[[Category:Organizations established in 1945]] |
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[[Category:United Nations Economic and Social Council| ]] |
[[Category:United Nations Economic and Social Council| ]] |
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[[Category:United Nations organizations based in North America]] |
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[[Category:United Nations organizations based in Europe]] |
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[[Category:Economic development organizations]] |
[[Category:Economic development organizations]] |
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[[Category:United Nations organs]] |
[[Category:United Nations organs]] |
Revision as of 20:51, 18 June 2024
United Nations Economic and Social Council | |
---|---|
History | |
Founded | 26 June 1945 |
Leadership | |
Structure | |
Seats | African states (14)
Asia-Pacific states (11)
Eastern European states (6)
Latin American and Caribbean states (10)
Western European and other states (13) |
Meeting place | |
United Nations Economic and Social Council chamber at United Nations headquarters | |
Website | |
ecosoc |
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organization, specifically in regards to the fifteen specialized agencies, the eight functional commissions, and the five regional commissions under its jurisdiction.
ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations System.[1] It has 54 members.[2] In addition to a rotating membership of 54 UN member states, over 1,600 nongovernmental organizations have consultative status with the Council to participate in the work of the United Nations.[3]
ECOSOC holds one four-week session each year in July, and since 1998 has also held an annual meeting in April with finance ministers of heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Additionally, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), which reviews the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is convened under the auspices of the Council every July.[4]
President
The president of the Council is elected for a one-year term and chosen from the small or medium sized states represented on the Council at the beginning of each new session.[5] The presidency rotates among the United Nations Regional Groups to ensure equal representation.[6]
Paula Narváez, Representative of Chile, was elected as the seventy-ninth president of the Council on 27 July 2023. She succeeded Lachezara Stoeva, who was elected as the seventy-eighth president of the Council on 25 July 2022,[7] succeeding Collen Vixen Kelapile of Botswana.[8]
Members
The Council consists of 54 Member States, which are elected yearly by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are allocated ensuring equitable geographic rotation among the United Nations regional groups.[9][10] Outgoing members are eligible for immediate re-election, and some seats are held by de facto permanent members.
History
In 1945 when the United Nations Charter was originally signed, the Economic and Social Council consisted of 18 seats. The formal concept of the United Nations Regional Groups did not yet exist, and unlike the Security Council, there was no "gentlemen's agreement" between the superpowers to assign ECOSOC seats. Regardless, with 4 exceptions out of 102 elections (see list), a relatively stable pattern emerged and held until 1960:[11][a]
- 5 seats to the Permanent Five of the UNSC
- 4 seats to Latin America
- 2 seats to Eastern Europe
- 1 seat to the British Commonwealth
- 3 seats to the "Near and Far East"[b]
- 3 seats to Western Europe
As the number of United Nations members grew with decolonization, the pattern began to break down starting in 1961, with nations in Africa winning elections to seats formerly held by Western Europe and the Republic of China (Taiwan).[11][c]
In 1965, the Charter was amended to increase the size of ECOSOC to 27 seats, and the Regional Groups were formally introduced. The seat distribution became:[15]
- 7 seats to the African Group
- 5 seats to the Asian Group
- 3 seats to the Eastern European Group
- 5 seats to the Latin American and Caribbean Group
- 7 seats to the Western European and Others Group
In 1973, the Charter was amended again to increase the size of ECOSOC to 54 seats. The seat distribution became:[15]
- 14 seats to the African Group
- 11 seats to the Asia-Pacific Group (renamed from the Asian Group in 2011)
- 6 seats to the Eastern European Group
- 10 seats to the Latin American and Caribbean Group
- 13 seats to the Western European and Others Group
Current members
- ^ Election pending between North Macedonia and Russia.
- ^ The United Nations currently recognizes the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as the government of Afghanistan instead of the de facto ruling government, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Observer Inter-Governmental Autonomous Organisations
Participation on a continuing basis:[21]
- African Regional Centre of Technology
- Asian and Pacific Development Centre
- Asian Productivity Organisation
- Council of Arab Economic Unity
- Global Water Partnership
- Helsinki Commission
- 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 Biotechnology
- Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- Latin American Energy Organization
- Organisation of Ibero-American States
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment
- Union des Conseils Économiques et Sociaux Africains
- West African Economic and Monetary Union
- World Deserts Foundation
Participation on an ad hoc basis:[21]
- 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 Social Sciences Institute
Commissions
Functional commissions
Active
The following are the active functional commission of the Council:[22][23]
- Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)
- Commission on Population and Development (CPD)
- Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD)
- Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
- Statistical Commission
- Commission for Social Development (CSocD)
- Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)
- Forum on Forests (UNFF)
Disbanded
The following commissions were disbanded by the Council and replaced by other bodies:
- Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR)
- Disbanded in 2006 and replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.[24][25]
- Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
- Disbanded in 2013 and replaced by the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), a joint subsidiary body of the General Assembly and ECOSOC.[26][27]
Regional commissions
The following are the active regional commissions of the Council:[23]
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
- United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
- United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
- United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
- United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Committees and other bodies
The following are some of the other bodies that the Council oversees in some capacity:[23]
Standing committees
- Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC)
- Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
- Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies
Expert bodies
- Committee for Development Policy (CDP)
- Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
- Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM)
- Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters
- Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA)
- Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
- Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN)
- Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting
- Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
Other subsidiary bodies
- System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB)
- High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM)
- High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP)
Specialized agencies
The specialized agencies of the United Nations are autonomous organizations working within the United Nations System, meaning that while they report their activities to the Economic and Social Council, they are mostly free to their own devices. Each agency must negotiate with the Council as to what their relationship will look and work like. This leads to a system where different organizations maintain different types of relationships with the Council.[28][29] Some were created before the United Nations existed and were integrated into the system, others were created by the League of Nations and were integrated by its successor, while others were created by the United Nations itself to meet emerging needs.[30]
The following is a list of the specialized agencies reporting to the Council:[31]
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
- United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
- Universal Postal Union (UPU)
- World Bank Group (WBG)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
- World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
"World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation"
In a report issued in early July 2011, the UN called for spending nearly US$2 trillion 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 sustainability boundaries through global warming, biodiversity loss, and disturbance of the nitrogen-cycle balance and other measures of the sustainability of the earth's ecosystem".[32]
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".[33]
Reform of the Economic and Social Council
The governance of the multilateral system has historically been 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 Summit based on proposals submitted by secretary-general Kofi Annan.[34] The Summit aimed to establish ECOSOC as a quality platform for high-level engagement among member states and with international financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society on global trends, policies, and action. It resolved to hold biennial high-level Development Cooperation Forums at the national-leadership level, transforming the high-level segment of the Council to review trends in international development cooperation and promote greater coherence in development activities. At the Summit it was also decided to hold annual ministerial-level substantive reviews to assess progress in achieving internationally agreed on development goals (particularly the Millennium Development Goals). These "Annual Ministerial Reviews" will be replaced by the High-Level Political Forum from 2016 onwards after the new post-MDG/post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals are agreed upon.[35]
Subsequent proposals by the High-Level Panel Report on System-Wide Coherence in November 2006 aimed to establish a forum within the ECOSOC as a counter-model to the exclusive clubs of the G8 and G20. The Forum was to comprise 27 heads of state (L27, corresponding to half of ECOSOC's membership) to meet annually and provide international leadership in the development area. This proposal however, was not approved by the General Assembly.[36]
Chamber design
The Economic and Social Council Chamber in the United Nations Conference Building was a gift from Sweden. It was conceived by Swedish architect Sven Markelius, one of the 11 architects in the international team that designed the UN headquarters. Wood from Swedish pine trees was used in the delegates' area for the railings and doors.[37]
The pipes and ducts in the ceiling above the public gallery were deliberately left exposed; the architect believed that anything useful could be left uncovered. The "unfinished" ceiling is a symbolic reminder that the economic and social work of the United Nations is never finished; there will always be something more that can be done to improve living conditions for the world's people.[38]
See also
- List of organizations with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council
- Copenhagen Consensus
- French Economic and Social Council
- European Economic and Social Committee (EU)
- Hard Choices: Moral Dilemmas in Humanitarian Intervention
- International Court of Justice
- International Hydrological Programme
- UN Secretariat
- UN Security Council
- UN Trusteeship Council
- UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
- Union of International Associations
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
- Chapter X of the United Nations Charter
- G20
Notes
- ^ For comparison purposes, applying the Regional Groups retroactively:
- 1 seat to the African Group
- 3 seats to the Asian Group and Taiwan
- 3 seats to the Eastern European Group
- 4 seats to the Latin American and Caribbean Group
- 7 seats to Western European and Others Group
- ^ Various nonstandard, inconsistent names, including also "Near and Middle East", were used before Africa and Asia became Regional Groups. Sources published after the introduction of the Regional Groups retroactively name this group "Asia-Africa" or similar, but this name was not used at the creation of ECOSOC.[12][11][13]
- ^ For comparison purposes:
- 2 seats to the African Group
- 3 seats to the Asian Group
- 3 seats to the Eastern European Group
- 4 seats to the Latin American and Caribbean Group
- 6 seats to Western European and Others Group
References
- ^ "About ECOSOC". ECOSOC. Archived from the original on Nov 2, 2019.
- ^ "High-Level Political Forum 2020 (HLPF 2020)". Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ^ Basu, Rumki (2019). The United Nations. Sterling. p. 83. ISBN 978-81-207-2775-5.
- ^ "Welcome to csonet.org | Website of the UN DESA NGO Branch. At your service". csonet.org. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ Mu Xuequan (27 July 2018). "UN ECOSOC Elects New President". Xinhuanet. Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "United Nations Official Document, Rule 20.2". un.org. Archived from the original on 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- ^ "2022: H.E. Lachezara Stoeva (Bulgaria)". Economic and Social Council United Nations. Archived from the original on Sep 6, 2023.
- ^ "President of ECOSOC". ECOSOC. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^ "Members". UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC and SOCIAL COUNCIL. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ "General Assembly Elects 19 Economic and Social Council Members to Terms Beginning 1 January 2020, Adopts Resolution Commemorating Signing of United Nations Charter". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Gregg, Robert W. “The Economic and Social Council: Politics of Membership.” The Western Political Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 1, 1963, pp. 109–32. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/445962. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.
- ^ a b Agam, Hasmy; Sam Daws; Terence O'Brien; Ramesh Takur (26 March 1999). What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century (PDF) (Report). United Nations University. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ a b Padelford, Norman J. “Politics and the Future of ECOSOC.” International Organization, vol. 15, no. 4, 1961, pp. 564–80. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2705552. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.
- ^ Bailey, Sydney D. “China and the United Nations.” The World Today, vol. 27, no. 9, 1971, pp. 365–72. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40394545. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
- ^ a b "Economic and Social Council Membership". Economic and Social Council.
- ^ https://x.com/UN_PGA/status/1799425203682041932
- ^ "ECOSOC Membership by Year". Dag Hammarskjöld Library. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Türkiye elected to UN Economic and Social Council". Anadolu Agency. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Announcement of 22 new members for 2022 term". UN ECOSOC President - Official Twitter Account of UN ECOSOC.
- ^ Gladstone, Rick (2021-12-01). "U.N. Seats Denied, for Now, to Afghanistan's Taliban and Myanmar's Junta". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
- ^ a b ECOSOC observers, Part V Archived 22 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Subsidiary Bodies of ECOSOC". United Nations Economic and Social Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ a b c Manhire, Vanessa, ed. (2019). "United Nations Handbook 2019–20". United Nations Handbook: An Annual Guide for Those Working with and within the United Nations (57th ed.). Wellington: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand: 144–198. ISSN 0110-1951.
- ^ "UN Creates New Human Rights Body". BBC. London. 15 March 2006. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC)". UIA Open Yearbook. Union of International Associations. n.d. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)". UIA Open Yearbook. Union of International Associations. n.d. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ United Nations General Assembly Session 67 Resolution 290. Format and Organizational Aspects of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development A/RES/67/290 9 July 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Cohn, Theodore H. (2016-05-05). Global Political Economy: Theory and Practice. Routledge. ISBN 9781317334828.
- ^ "UN Specialized Agencies". Globalization 101. The Levin Institute. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ Kurtas, Susan. "Research Guides: UN System Documentation: Specialized Agencies". Research Guides at United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
- ^ "Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies and Others". United Nations. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "World Economic and Social Survey 2011 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs". United Nations. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
- ^ "The World Economic and Social Survey 2011: The Great Green Technological Transformation'". Thaindian News. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- ^ Ian Williams, "Annan has paid his dues". The Guardian, 19 September 2005
- ^ UNDESA (8 July 2015). "Session 18: Reviewing and monitoring progress: What have we learned and how can it advance implementation?". Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Turkmenistan Elected to ECOSOC for 2019-2021". The Gazette of Central Asia. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ Anand, Ankit. "Project Work of Political Science". scribd. Chanakya National Law University. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ UN website.
Further reading
- Mathews-Schultz, A. (2020). "The Untold History of the United Nations, the US State Department, and Organized Interests in the Postwar Era." Social Science History, 44(2), 197–222.
External links
- Official website – United Nations Economic and Social Council
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
- Congo – Conference of UN NGO's
- Global Policy Forum – Social and Economic Policy at the UN (archived 5 September 2006)
- United Nations
- The Group of Eight, ECOSOC and the Constitutional Paradox (in French)