Economic and Social Council

2010 Organizational Session

10^th Meeting (PM)

Economic and Social Council Considers Programme of Work

 

for 2010 Substantive Session, 28 June–23 July

 

The Economic and Social Council today considered its programme of work for its 2010 substantive session, running at New York Headquarters from 28 June to 23 July.

Established under the United Nations Charter as the principal organ for coordinating the economic, social, and related work of the Organization’s 14 specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions, the Council also receives reports from 11 United Nations funds and programmes.  It is the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system.

Every year around July, the Council holds a substantive session, alternating in venue between Geneva and New York and consisting of a high-level segment, an annual ministerial review, a coordination segment, an operational activities segment, a humanitarian affairs segment, and a general segment.  The last day of the session is set aside for action on all outstanding draft proposals.

According to the proposed programme of work (document E/2010/L.5), the 2010 substantive session opens on Monday, 28 June, with the high-level segment and annual ministerial review running until Friday, 2 July.  The coordination segment will take place from 5-13 July and the humanitarian affairs segment on 14 and 15 July.  The general segment will be held from 16 to 22 July.

The high-level segment serves as a forum for ministers, executive heads of international institutions and high-ranking officials, as well as civil society and private sector representatives to discuss key international issues in the economic, social and environmental development spheres.  It ends with the adoption of a ministerial declaration which provides policy guidance and recommendations for action.

Intended to be a vehicle for stepping up efforts to bring the international community back on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 target year, the annual ministerial review was mandated by Heads of State and Government at the 2005 World Summit, and its theme for 2010 will be “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and empowerment of women”.  The Development Cooperation Forum will take place in the afternoon of 30 June.

The coordination segment will address, among other things:  the role of the United Nations system in implementing the ministerial declaration of the 2009 high-level segment; implementation of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits, including the International Conference on Financing for Development; and the reports of coordination bodies.

As for the segment on operational activities, it will include consideration of the reports of the executive boards of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme, as well as operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation.  A long-term programme of support for Haiti will be considered on 13 July.

Issues to be taken up by the humanitarian affairs segment include special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.  The general segment will consider, among other things:  the review and coordination of implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010; international cooperation in the field of informatics; progress made in implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society at the regional and international levels; science and technology for development; non-governmental organizations; African countries emerging from conflict; decolonization; regional cooperation; and the advancement of women.

The Council will discuss the report on the ninth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issus during the general segment.  On 19 July, there will be a joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission on the economic and food crises in post-conflict countries.

On Monday, 28 June, the proposed programme of work for the 2010 substantive session will be submitted to the Economic and Social Council.

In other business today, the Council elected Octavio Errázuris ( Chile), by acclamation, to continue the unexpired term of Vice-President Heraldo Muñoz, also of Chile.  Mr. Errázuris would be responsible for the humanitarian affairs segment.

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For information media • not an official record