RENOVATED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CHAMBER INAUGURATED

Press Release
ECOSOC/5874

RENOVATED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CHAMBER INAUGURATED

The renovated Chamber of the 54-member Economic and Social Council was opened today with a statement by its President that the Council stood ready to discharge further its responsibilities in the area of post-conflict peace building.

Francesco Paolo Fulci (Italy) said new working methods were making Economic and Social Council deliberations more visible to the external world. A clear and strong message had been sent from its July session to the world that poverty was indeed a global challenge. Only by increasing coherence, promoting synergies and persevering could there be success, he said.

Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), President of the General Assembly, said the Economic and Social Council role, including in reconstruction and nation-building, was indispensable. The founders of the United Nations, he said, had good reason in assigning specific functions and establishing logical hierarchy for the Organization's six principal organs. Those arrangements should not be changed arbitrarily, he said.

The representative of Botswana, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said a renewed Economic and Social Council was being seen -- one that had assumed a leadership role in defining the way forward for the United Nations system. Never before had the question of poverty been elevated to the top of the agenda throughout the United Nations system.

The representative of Turkey, speaking on behalf the Asian States Group, said the Group expected the Economic and Social Council to fulfill its responsibilities with respect to the economic and social problems of many nations in Asia and throughout the world.

On behalf of the Eastern European States, the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, expressed appreciation that the renovated Chamber would enter the next millennium with a new energy that she hoped would carry over to the Council's activities as well.

Describing the Economic and Social Council as a vital United Nations organ, the representative of Paraguay, on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean States, said it could once again focus its attention on such important issues as the elimination of poverty, better trade terms, the status of women and debt relief, among others.

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The representative of Iceland, on behalf of the Western European and Other States Group, said the Economic and Social Council had regained its rightful place in the organizational chart and played a pivotal role in coordinating the economic and social work of the United Nations, as well as the specialized agencies. The inauguration of the new hall was symbolic for the renewed Council and a lasting monument for its President.

The next meeting of the Economic and Social Council is scheduled to take place after the General Assembly's general debate.

Statements

Francesco Paolo Fulci (Italy), President of the Economic and Social Council, said that from now on, like the General Assembly and the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council would meet in its own room, which now had enough space not only for the 54 members, but also for all observer Member States and the specialized agencies. The harmony and style of the original Swedish design had been preserved, he noted.

Mr. Fulci expressed appreciation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his commitment and support, to the Government of Italy for its financial contribution, to Ambassador Maecllo Guidi of the Howard Gilman Foundation, who had made a donation through UNA-USA, to the President of the Italian Federation of Wood Industries, Rodrigo Rodriquez, and to the Italia company, Comini-Modonutti, for supplying the additional 90 chairs.

Turning to the work of the Economic and Social Council during its July session, Mr. Fulci said that poverty eradication had been the lietmotif of the session. A clear and strong message had been sent by the Council to the world that poverty was indeed a global challenge. Only by increasing coherence, promoting synergies and persevering could success be achieved, he said.

Africa needed and deserved undivided attention, he continued. It seemed unbelievable, as the rock singer Bono had told an astounded audience in the General Assembly, that for every dollar that the poorest nations got from rich countries, they had to pay back nine dollars to service their external debt.

He said consultation, cooperation and interaction with the Bretton Woods institutions had reached an unprecedented level. Citing several Council meetings with those organizations, he said those sessions had generated a new atmosphere of mutual trust, better understanding and shared values.

Haiti, despite some naysayers, was an Economic and Social Council success story, he said. In a short period of time, the Council had been able to draft and adopt a plan for adequate, well-coordinated and effective assistance to Haiti. More than ever, peace and development were two sides of the same coin.

Now that it had proved itself, he said the Council stood ready to discharge further responsibilities in the area of post-conflict peace-building. He added that new working methods were making Council deliberations more visible to the external world.

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Statement by General Assembly President

THEO-BEN GURIRAB (Namibia), President of the General Assembly, recalled that in his acceptance speech two days ago as President, he had said that the Economic and Social Council's role, including in reconstruction and nation-building, was indispensable. The founders of the United Nations, he said, had had good reason for assigning specific functions to the Organization's six principal organs. Among them was the Trusteeship Council, which had worked itself out of existence after assisting in the achievement of self-government for many territories. The United Nations founders had also established a logical hierarchy and respective mandates for the principal organs of the Organization. Therefore, those arrangements should not be changed arbitrarily.

He underscored that the General Assembly was at the centre of the decision- making activities of the Organization. That did not in any way undermine or infringe upon the carefully constructed mandates of each of the organs.

He thanked the Economic and Social Council President, members of the Council and the Government of Italy for their contributions in bringing about the renovation of the Council's Chamber. He said he had taken a cue from the Council President's statement that all the institutions of the Organization, as well as the Secretary-General, should work together.

Statements on behalf of Regional Groups

LEUTLWETSE MMUALEFE (Botswana), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said a renewed Council was being seen, one that had assumed a leadership role in defining the way forward for the United Nations system. Never before had the question of poverty been elevated to the top of the agenda throughout the United Nations system. Funds and Programmes, specialized agencies, and even the Bretton Woods institutions, he said, had embraced the goal of poverty eradication as an issue of utmost priority.

In April 1998, an historic and ground-breaking meeting of the Economic and Social Council, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund had taken place in the Council Chamber. The message that had clearly emerged from that meeting, he said, was that there was convergence in development - cooperation thinking among the international community.

That was a welcome development for recipient countries, he said. Thanks to the Economic and Social Council, those countries could look forward to stronger partnerships based on a common vision, with the Council promoting coordination of the various development activities at the field level. In the context of United Nations reforms, the Council had continued on the path of raising public awareness of its work in social and economic development.

He said millions of people around the globe had, last July, been able to access statements delivered by various delegations attending Council session through the internet. The realities of the daily hardships of mankind in the developing world, particularly in Africa, had been brought into people's homes.

He hoped that through that initiative, the seeds of compassion would be sown and increased support for the work of the United Nations generated, he said.

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LIDIJA TOPIC (Bosnia and Herzegovina), speaking on behalf of the Eastern European States, congratulated all those responsible for the renovated Chamber. She expressed appreciation that the Council Chamber would enter the new millennium in a renewed way, which she hoped would carry over to its activities as well.

GENARO PAPPALARDO (Paraguay), speaking on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean States Group, described the Council as a vital organ of the United Nations. He praised the efforts of those who had made the use of the Chamber possible again. It could once again focus its attention on such important issues as the elimination of poverty, better trade terms, the status of women and debt relief, among others. The moment represented a new stage in the Economic and Social Council's role.

THORSTEINN INGOLFSSON (Iceland), speaking on behalf of the Western European and other States Group, expressed satisfaction with the impressive improvements in the Chambers. The Council had regained its rightful place in the organizational chart and played a pivotal role in coordinating the economic and social work of the United Nations, as well as of the specialized agencies. The inauguration of the renewed hall was symbolic for the renewed Council and a lasting monument for its President.

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