Economic and Social Council

2012 Substantive Session

52^nd Meeting* (AM)

Economic and Social Council, Resuming 2012 Substantive Session,

 

Adopts 6 Texts, Fills Vacancies in Subsidiary Bodies

 

Resuming its 2012 substantive session today, the Economic and Social Council adopted three draft resolutions and three draft decisions in addition to filling vacancies in a number of its subsidiary bodies, having deferred several elections from previous sessions.

In the first order of business, the 54-member Council elected Oman, by acclamation, to the Commission on Population and Development for a term beginning at the first meeting of that body’s forty-seventh session in 2013 and expiring at the close of its fiftieth session in 2017.

In the absence of any other candidates for election to the Commission on Population and Development, the Council postponed two elections - for members from the Asia-Pacific States and the Latin American and Caribbean States - for terms beginning on the date of election and expiring at the close of the Commission’s forty-ninth session in 2016.  The Council also deferred the election of one member from the African States, two from the Asia-Pacific States and one from the Eastern European States for terms beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s forty-seventh session in 2013 and expiring at the close of the fiftieth session in 2017.

Acting by acclamation, the Council then elected El Salvador to the Commission for Social Development for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring at the close of that body’s fifty-fourth session in 2016.  In the absence of any other candidates, the Council decided to postpone election of the following:  one member from the Eastern European States for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring at the close of the fifty-first session in 2013; one member from the Western European and Other States for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring at the close of the fifty-third session in 2015; and one member from the Western European and Other States for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring at the close of the Commission’s fifty-fourth session in 2016.  The Council also deferred the election of one member from the Asia-Pacific States, one from the Eastern European States and three from the Western European and Other States for terms beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s fifty-second session in 2013 and expiring at the close of its fifty-fifth session in 2017.

The Council then nominated El Salvador for election by the General Assembly to the Committee for Programme and Coordination, for a term beginning on 1 January 2013 and expiring on 31 December 2015.  In the absence of any other candidates, it postponed the nomination of five members from the Western European and Other States, including four members to terms beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2014, and one to a term beginning on 1 January 2013 and expiring on 31 December 2015.

Acting again by acclamation, the Council then elected Bangladesh and Denmark to the Committee for the United Nations Population Award, for a term beginning on 1 January 2013 and expiring on 31 December 2015.  In the absence of any other candidates, it postponed the election of five members — three from the African States and two from the Asia-Pacific States — for terms beginning on 1 January 2013 and expiring on 31 December 2015.

With Canada relinquishing its seat on the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) effective 1 January 2013, the Council elected Australia, by acclamation, to complete its term of office, which begins on 1 January 2013 and expires on 31 December 2014.

Turning to issues deferred from July, the Council took note of the report of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation (document A/67/39).  It also took note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review and on analysis of the funding of operational activities for development of the United Nations system (documents A/67/93–E/2012/79 and A/67/94–E/2012/80).

In its consideration of agenda item 10, “Regional cooperation”, the Council adopted a draft resolution titled “Venue of the thirty-fifth session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean” (document E/2012/L.34).  It also adopted draft resolutions titled “Establishment of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean” (document E/2012/L.35), and “Regional dimension of development in the Latin American and Caribbean Region” (document E/2012/L.36).  In relation to the latter text, the Council also had before it a statement submitted by the Secretary-General on its programme budget implications (document E/2012/L.38).

The Council took note of the following addenda to reports of the Secretary-General:  Regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields (document E/2012/15/Add.3); and Science and technology for development (document E/2012/49/Add.1).

Turning to agenda item 13, “Economic and environmental questions”, sub-item (j), “Cartography”, the Council then took note of the report of the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management on its second session, and the provisional agenda and dates for its third session (document E/2012/46), and the report of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names on its twenty-seventh session, its provisional agenda and dates for its twenty-eighth session (document E/2012/90).

In further action under agenda item 13, the Council adopted a draft decision titled “Dates and venue for the tenth session of the United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for the Americas” (document E/2012/L.37).  It decided that it would consider the report of the tenth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names once it was made available.

Wrapping up the meeting, Council Vice-President Luis-Alfonso de Alba (Mexico) called attention to the seven members elected to the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission — Chile, Egypt, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Spain, Ukraine and Zambia — noting that their terms were due to expire on 31 December 2012.  The Council would need to hold elections before the end of the year to fill those vacancies, and to decide on the allocation of two additional seats to a regional group or groups.  A draft proposal would be made available shortly, he said.  In addition, action was pending on the establishment of appropriate and concrete linkages between the Commission on the Status of Women and the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).

The Council’s next formal meeting will take place no later than 10 December 2012.

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*     The 51^st Meeting was covered in Press Release GA/EF/3344 of 22 October.

For information media • not an official record