Economic and Social Council

2009 Organizational Session

2^nd Meeting (AM)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL HOLDS SECOND ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FOR 2009 SESSION;

DECIDES HIGH-LEVEL MEETING WITH BRETTON WOODS INSTITUTIONS WILL BE HELD 27 APRIL

Also Approves Provisional Agenda for July Substantive Session,

Fills Vacancy on Committee for Development Policy, Among Other Matters

The Economic and Social Council today decided to hold its special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on 27 April.

The decision was one of five taken by the Council (contained in document E/2009/L.1) at its second meeting to consider organizational matters for its 2009 session.

By a second decision, it approved the provisional agenda for its substantive session of 2009, and, by another, laid out the working arrangements for that session as follows:  the high-level segment would be held from 6 to 9 July; the dialogue with Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions on 10 July; the coordination segment from 10 to 14 July; the operational activities segment from 15 to 17 July; the humanitarian affairs segment from 20 to 22 July; the general segment from 23 to 30 July; and the conclusion of work on 31 July.

It also decided that the work of the operational activities segment of the 2009 substantive session should be devoted to the progress on and implementation of General Assembly resolutions 62/208 (2008) and 63/232 (2008) on the operational activities for development of the United Nations system.

The Council also took note of issues for inclusion in its 2010 programme of work.

Prior to the adoption of those decisions, newly elected Council President Sylvie Lucas ( Luxembourg) informed the 54-member body of the agreement reached within the Bureau regarding the division of responsibilities for the 2009 substantive session.  Council Vice-President Somduth Soborun ( Mauritius) would be responsible for the coordination segment; Vice-President Carmen María Gallardo Hernández ( El Salvador) for the operational activities segment; Vice-President Tiina Intelmann ( Estonia) for the humanitarian affairs segment; and Vice-President Hamidon Ali ( Malaysia) for the general segment.

The high-level segment, the dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions and the conclusion of the session’s work would be under the Council President’s responsibility.

In other matters, the Council also appointed Adil Najam of Pakistan to its Committee for Development Policy, filling a vacancy arising from the resignation of Tariq Banuri, also of Pakistan.  Mr. Najam, who was nominated by the Secretary-General, is a professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.  He was a lead author and convening lead author, respectively, for the third and fourth assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  He received a doctorate in international environmental policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ms. Lucas also announced that meetings on other election-related matters would be held from 18 to 19 May, rather than 29 to 30 April, as previously scheduled.

The Council will reconvene at a time and date to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record