Economic and Social Council

2013 Substantive Session

51^st Meeting (AM)

Economic and Social Council Fills Vacancies in Nine Subsidiary Bodies,

 

Takes Action on Draft Proposals

 

Resuming its 2013 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council met this morning to fill vacant seats in its subsidiary bodies and to take action on draft proposals.

Outstanding vacancies were to be filled on the following: the International Narcotic Control Board; Committee of Experts on Public Administration; Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women); Commission on Population and Development; Commission on Social Development; Commission on the Status of Women; Committee for Programme and Coordination; Executive Board of the World Food Programme; and, the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

In the first order of business, the Council elected, by secret ballot, Dr. Alejandro Mohar Betancourt ( Mexico) to the International Narcotic Control Board, following the resignation of his countryman, Jorge Montaño.  The voting went as follows:

Number of ballot papers:	49
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	49
Number of members present and voting:	49
Required majority:	25
Number of votes obtained by country:
Mexico	33
Ireland	13
Belarus	2
Iran	1
Slovakia	0

The Council then approved, by acclamation, the nomination by the Secretary General of the 24 members to serve on the Committee of Experts on Public Administration for a four-year term, beginning on 1 January 2014.

To the Executive Board of UN Women, the Council elected, by acclamation, 24 members for a three year term, beginning on 1 January 2014.  Also elected to that body were 18 members from the five regional groups for a three year term, beginning on 1 January 2014, and expiring on 31 December 2016: Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Togo (African States); Bangladesh, China, India, Japan and Republic of Korea (Asia-Pacific States); Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland (Eastern European States); Colombia, Cuba, and Suriname (Latin American and Caribbean States); and, Australia, Liechtenstein and Spain (Western European and other States).

The Council also elected the following countries to the Executive Board of UN Women: Mexico, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States for a term of three years, beginning on 1 January 2014, and expiring on 31 December 2016.  From the Western European and other States group, the Council elected Iceland and New Zealand, also by acclamation, to the Executive Board of UN Women, to complete the terms of office of Switzerland and Ireland, respectively, for a term of office beginning on 1 January 2014, and expiring on 31 December 2015.

Turning to its Commission on Population and Development, the Council elected Romania, by acclamation, to a term beginning on the date of election, and expiring at the close of the Commission’s fiftieth session in 2017.

In the absence of any candidates for election to that Commission, the Council decided to postpone elections of 12 outstanding vacancies, including one from Asia-Pacific States and one from 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); one from African States and one from Asia-Pacific States (for terms beginning on the date of election and expiring at the close of the Commission’s fiftieth session in 2017); and three members from Asia-Pacific States, two members from Eastern European States, three members from Latin American and Caribbean States and one member from Western European and other States (for terms beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s forty-eighth session in 2014, and expiring at the close of the Commission’s fifty-first session, in 2018).

The Council then turned to its Commission on Social Development, electing Romania (Eastern European States), by acclamation, for a term beginning on the date of election, and expiring at the close of the Commission’s fifty-fifth session in 2017.

In the absence of any other candidates for election to the Commission for Social Development, the Council decided to postpone the following elections: 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-fourth session of the Commission, in 2016); and one member from Asia-Pacific and three members from Western European and other States (for terms beginning on the date of election and expiring at the close of the fifty-fifth session of the Commission, in 2017).

To the Commission on the Status of Women, the Council elected Egypt, by acclamation, for a term beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s fifty-ninth session in 2014, and expiring at the close of the Commission’s sixty-second session in 2018.  Also on that Commission, the Council elected Sudan, by acclamation, for a term beginning on the date of election, and expiring at the close of the Commission’s sixtieth session in 2016.

Next, the Council nominated Morocco for election by the General Assembly to the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a term beginning on 1 January 2014, and expiring on 31 December 2016.  In the absence of any other candidates for election to the Committee for Programme and Coordination, the Council agreed to further postpone the following nominations: two members from Western European and other States (for terms beginning on the date of election by the General Assembly, and expiring on 31 December 2014); one member from Western European and other States (for a term beginning on the date of election by the General Assembly, and expiring on 31 December 2015); and, one member from Asia Pacific States (for a three year term beginning on 1 January 2014, and expiring on 31 December).

The Council then elected Spain, by acclamation, to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme for a three year term beginning on 1 January 2014, and expiring on 31 December 2016.

Turning to its Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Council elected, by acclamation, Morocco for a three year term beginning on 1 January 2014, and expiring on 31 December 2016, and Norway for a term beginning on 1 January, and expiring on 31 December 2014.

The Council then adopted a draft decision entitled “Dates and venue for the twenty-eighth session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names” (E/2013/L.40), by which it decided to hold the session from 28 April to 2 May 2014, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

It also adopted the draft decision on the “Report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues of its twelfth session” (document E/2013/L.41). In further considering that Forum, the Council adopted as orally corrected, draft decision I entitled “International expert group meeting on the theme “Sexual health and reproductive rights: articles 21, 22 (1), 23 and 24 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”; draft decision II entitled “Venue and dates of the thirtieth session of the Permanent Forum”; and draft decision III entitled “Report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on its twelfth session and provisional agenda for its thirteenth session”.

The Council then turned its attention to the draft ministerial declaration of the 2013 High level segment of the substantive session of the Council: science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture, for promoting sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Nestor Osorio ( Colombia), President of the Economic and Social Council, encouraged members to reach consensus on the ministerial declaration by the middle of December. There were “high hopes” that the Council would produce guidance for policy and function in a businesslike manner, he said, emphasizing that without a ministerial declaration, the power of the Council would be reduced.

The 54 member Council is the principal organ for the socioeconomic and related work of the United Nations.  Its subsidiary bodies include 14 specialized agencies, nine functional commissions, five regional commissions, standing committees, and 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 to the United Nations system.

Candidates in today’s proceedings were elected on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, and were mostly endorsed by the five regional groups representing African, Asian, Eastern European, Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and other States.

The Economic and Social Council will reconvene at a time to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record