Economic and Social Council: Meetings Coverage

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 14 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, postponed its consideration of 36 applications and closed the file on 5 others.

Recommending consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for 8 entities today, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) also postponed its consideration of 34 other applications, pending receipt of additional information, and held a discussion about its working methods.

Recommending consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for 13 entities today, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) also postponed its consideration of 44 other applications, pending receipt of additional information, and heard one complaint.

Civil society was the critical “eyes and ears on the ground”, Nikhil Seth, Director of ECOSOC Support and Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said as the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) opened its 2010 regular session today .

Overwhelming concern over massive destruction caused by a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti that impacted 3 million people – one third of the population -– and left much of the Caribbean nation in shambles dominated discussion in the Economic and Social Council today, as the 54-member body held its first organizational meeting of 2010.

Wrapping up its resumed 2009 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council today filled outstanding vacancies on a number of its subsidiary bodies, and heard briefings by key United Nations officials dealing with food security issues, as well as detailed review by its President on coordinated follow-up in response to the world economic and financial crisis.

The United Nations Forum on Forests today launched two vital initiatives: an intergovernmental expert group to conduct in-depth analysis of all aspects of forest financing over the next four years; and a “facilitative process” on forest financing, to assist countries to mobilize funding from all sources.

The Commission on the Status of Women ‑‑ the United Nations’ principal policymaking body dedicated to gender equality and women’s advancement ‑‑ today elected by acclamation Garen Nazarian, of Armenia, as Chairperson of its fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth sessions.

During its resumed substantive session for 2009, the Economic and Social Council this afternoon elected by secret ballot Jorge Montano (Mexico) to serve effective immediately as a member of the International Narcotics Control Board until 1 March 2012. Mr. Montano was elected to replace Maria Elena Medina-Mora Icaza (Mexico), who resigned. He received 40 of 46 votes. Two delegates who were present abstained from the voting.

In a bid to transform the historic 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into “living law”, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues closed its eighth session today by adopting a text that invited States to adopt or endorse the document, substantively inform the Forum about its implementation and effectiveness, and recommended that they do the same in core reports to human rights treaty bodies and the Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review.