Economic and Social Council

2010 Substantive Session

48^th Meeting (AM)

Economic and Social Council Aims to Elect 41-Member Executive Board

 

for New United Nations Gender Equality Entity by Early November

 

The Economic and Social Council this morning decided that the inaugural election of the 41 members of the Executive Board of the new entity for gender equality would be held “as soon as possible and by early November 2010”.

Adopting an oral decision on the procedures for elections to the Executive Board of the newly created United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the Council also decided to continue its discussions on staggering the terms of office of those Board members, so as to reach and agreement on the modalities ahead of the elections.

Immediately following that action, Economic and Social Council President, Hamidon Ali (Malaysia), sketched out the way forward for the Council, telling its members that he intended to hold the elections in early November, so the new Executive Board could come together well before the official establishment of UN Women, which was set for 1 January 2011 by the General Assembly.

He further announced plans to send out relevant communications on the matter to:  the Chairs of the five regional groups seeking nominations; the top 10 voluntary core contributors seeking four nominations; and voluntary core contributors from developing countries not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)/Development Assistance Committee (DAC) seeking two nominations.  Those communications would indicate the deadline by which respective nominations should be provided in writing to the Secretariat.

President Ali also announced that the fourth round of “informal informal” consultations on staggering the terms of the UN Women Executive Board would be held on Tuesday, 14 September, at 10 a.m., in Conference Room 7 of the North Lawn Building.

The Economic and Social Council will meet again at a time and date to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record