Economic and Social Council

2011 Organizational Session

12^th Meeting (AM)

Resumed Organizational Session of Economic and Social Council

 

Elects Members to Fill Vacancies in Three Subsidiary Bodies

 

In a resumed organizational session today, the Economic and Social Council filled vacancies in three of its subsidiary bodies, electing members by secret ballot and by acclamation.

Voting by secret ballot, the Council elected Iran to a four-year term on the Commission on Population and Development, beginning today and expiring at the close of that body’s forty-eighth session in 2015.

Prior to that action, Council President Lazarous Kapambwe (Zambia) recalled that he had been informed, in a note verbale dated 25 February 2011, that the group of Asian States had endorsed Iran’s candidacy for one of the outstanding seats.  Unfortunately, the note verbale had not reached the Secretariat in time for the elections held during the Council’s meeting of 27 April.  (See Press Release ECOSOC/6474)

Following that explanation, Iran’s representative asked the President to reveal the names of the delegations requesting a secret ballot, whereupon the Council President gave the United States and Canada the floor.

Affirming their opposition to the candidacy because of Iran’s reservations regarding the Cairo Programme of Action, the two delegates said the country had been unhelpful in respect of the document’s implementation, particularly in the areas of reproductive health and rights, and the empowerment of women.

Iran’s representative said an administrative “glitch” had been turned into an opportunity for “petty politics”, stressing that diversity on the Commission was important, as was the integrity of regional groups.  The United States had previously challenged regional choices, he noted.  Iran had always been a constructive player on the Commission and would continue to be so, regardless of whether it was an observer or a member, he said, asking all members to respect the wishes of the Asian Group.

Current Asian Group members of the Commission are Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Turkmenistan.  Japan was elected during the April meeting to a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s forty-sixth session, to be held in 2012, and expiring at the conclusion of the forty-ninth session in 2016.

The Council postponed the election of one member from the Asian Group and one from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States for a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s forty-sixth session in 2012 and expiring at the close of its forty-ninth session in 2016.

Turning to the Commission on the Status of Women, the Council elected Malawi (Group of African States), by acclamation, to a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s fifty-seventh session in 2012 and expiring at the end of its sixtieth session in 2016.  With that election, the membership of the Commission’s fifty-seventh session was complete.

In today’s final action, the Council elected Ecuador, by acclamation, to a three-year term on the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, beginning on 1 January 2012 and expiring on 31 December 2014.

In the absence of any other candidates for election to the Working Group, the Council further agreed to postpone the following elections: three members from the Latin American and Caribbean Group, and four members from the Group of Western European and other States for terms expiring on 31 December 2011; four members from the Asian Group and one member from the Latin American and Caribbean Group for terms ending on 31 December 2012; and 14 members for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2012 — two members from the African Group, two from the Asian Group, one from the Latin American and Caribbean Group, and nine from the Western European and other States Group.

The 54-member Economic and Social Council is the principal organ for the socio‑economic and related work of the United Nations.  Its subsidiary bodies include nine functional commissions, five regional commissions, standing committees, as well as expert and related bodies.  The Council also receives reports from 11 of the Organization’s funds and programmes, serving as the central forum for economic and social issues and as a policy adviser to States and the United Nations system.

Vote Results

Commission on Population and Development (Asian Group)

Number of ballots:	44
Number of invalid ballots:	2
Number of valid ballots:	42
Abstentions:	13
Members voting:	29
Required majority:	15
Number of votes obtained by country:
Iran	22
Nepal	2
Republic of Korea	2
Iraq	1
Mongolia	1
Thailand	1

* *** *

For information media • not an official record