Economic and Social Council acts on several items deferred from july session

As the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) met this afternoon to resume its 2004 substantive session, it took action on several items deferred from its regular session in July.

Adopting by consensus a text on follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development, which was circulated in consultations and in English only, the ECOSOC looked forward to the contribution to the 2005 high-level review of implementation of the Millennium Declaration to be made by the Council’s next special high-level spring meeting on financing for development.

Also by the text, the Council encouraged the regional commissions to continue to strengthen efforts to address regional and interregional aspects of the Monterrey Conference’s follow-up and stressed the importance of pursuing appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks at the national levels to foster a dynamic and well-functioning business sector to increase economic growth and reduce poverty.

The ECOSOC also took note of the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination on its forty-fourth session (document A/59/16) and of the proposed strategic framework for the biennium 2006-2007 (document A/59/6).  It also took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the Implementation of the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States (document A/59/99-E/2004/83) and decided to refer it to the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly.

However, the Council deferred until its next resumed session consideration of a draft resolution, contained in the report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (document E/2004/32), which would set the dates for that body’s 2005 session, as well as a draft resolution on promoting the application of science and technology to meet the development goals contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration”, contained in the report of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (document E/2004/31).

Also this afternoon, the ECOSOC elected Thailand to the Commission on Population and Development by acclamation, to a term to begin today and to expire on 31 December 2005.  It further postponed fulfilment of the remaining three vacancies on that Commission to a future session.

In other elections, Liliane Muzangi Mbela of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was elected by acclamation to fill the vacancy left by the recent passing of Njuma Ekundanayo, also of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.  Ms. Mbela’s term will begin on 1 January 2005 and last for three years.

Lastly, Argentina was elected by consensus to fill a vacant seat on the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.  That country’s term will begin immediately and expire on 31 December 2006.  Fulfilment of the remaining six vacant seats on the Intergovernmental Working Group was also postponed.

The Economic and Social Council will resume its 2004 substantive session at a time to be announced.

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