Economic and Social Council

2011 Organizational Session

2^nd Meeting (AM)

Economic and Social Council Has Opportunity to Reinvigorate Political Commitment

 

to Global Sustainable Development, Says UN Chief of Economic and Social Affairs

 

Council to Meet with Financial Institutions, World Trade Organization 10-11 March;

Approving Agenda, Agrees to Hold Substantive Session’s High-level Segment 4-8 July

Acting on a number of organizational issues, the Economic and Social Council today decided that its meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would be held at Headquarters on 10 and 11 March.

Approving the provisional agenda for its 2011 substantive session, as orally corrected, the Council also adopted working arrangements for that four-week session.  By decisions contained in document E/2011/L.1, it agreed to hold its high-level segment from 4 July through the morning of 8 July; its dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions the afternoon of Friday, 8 July; its coordination segment, from 11 July through the morning of Thursday, 14 July; and its operational activities segment from the afternoon of 14 July through 18 July.

The Council also decided to hold its humanitarian affairs segment from the afternoon of 19 July to 21 July, with its general segment slated from 22 July to 28 July, before the annual substantive session’s conclusion on 29 July.  Action was deferred on two draft decisions related to the themes for the humanitarian affairs segment and the item on regional cooperation, as well as on the issue of transition from relief to development.

“This year marks an important window of opportunity for ECOSOC to reinvigorate political commitment to global sustainable development,” said Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, opening today’s organizational meeting.  Short-sighted responses and sector-based responses would no longer suffice in tackling the multiple challenges ahead.

Several challenges required effective system coordination, he said, stressing the importance of integrating the issue of food insecurity into the Council’s work programme.  There was also an urgent need to reaffirm the United Nations centrality in global economic governance. Work by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs to identify issues requiring credible policy coordination could support efforts in that area.

The coming year would also bring an opportunity to shape two issues central to the United Nations development agenda in the decade ahead: the special situation of the least developed countries, and sustainable development.  Council deliberations could make a valuable contribution to the Fourth Conference on Least Developed Countries, to be held in May in Istanbul, Turkey.  With better domestic policies and increased international commitment, an estimated half of those countries could graduate from that status by 2020.

Moreover, next year’s United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development — also known as “Rio+20” — would focus on two themes: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and an institutional framework for sustainable development.  Though there was some concern about the feasibility of a “green” transition, experience showed that when managed properly, such shifts could advance development goals, he said.

Discussing future work, Council President Lazarous Kapambwe (Zambia) underlined the Council’s oversight role in the Organization’s development operations.  In that context, he stressed the importance of an integrated vision and greater coherence between the Council and its subsidiary bodies.  He also highlighted the potential of the Annual Ministerial Review to further the Council’s work.

In other business today, the Council noted issues pending from 2010, including action on a draft resolution to establish an ad hoc panel of experts on the world financial and economic crisis and its impact on development, and consideration of a report by the Committee on Experts on Public Administration.  Other pending issues included a proposal by the Council President to convene a discussion on international cooperation in tax matters and draft resolutions on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields contained in the addendum to the Secretary-General’s report on that matter.

The Council President also reminded delegates about the need to take action in connection with the review of the distribution of seats on the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP), in accordance with General Assembly resolution 53/223 (2000) and Council resolution 1999/3.  He had requested the Secretariat to circulate a draft resolution on the matter, reflecting a recommendation by the Board President to maintain the status quo, urging that action be taken on it on Friday, 18 February, so that Assembly could take action by early March.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Hungary, on behalf of the European Union, and Bolivia.

The 54 members of the Economic and Social Council are Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela and Zambia.

The Economic and Social Council will reconvene in a plenary next at 3 p.m. on Friday, 18 February to take action on other organizational matters.

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For information media • not an official record