Economic and Social Council Fills Vacancies in 11 Subsidiary Bodies, Delays Action on Draft Decision Changing Theme of 2019 Session

The Economic and Social Council met today to fill regular and outstanding vacancies in 11 of its subsidiary bodies, and to delay action on a draft decision that would change the theme of its 2019 session.

By a vote of 35 in favour, with 8 abstentions, the Council elected Javad Safaei (Iran) to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, for a term beginning today and expiring on 31 December 2019, filling a vacancy arising from the resignation of Seyed Mohsen Emadi (Iran).

Prior to the vote, China’s representative asked to know which delegation had requested the ballot.  Council Vice-President Tore Hattrem (Norway) replied that the United States made the request.

After the vote, the Vice-President said that one of the ballots contained a handwritten note indicating a no vote.  (A total of 36 votes were cast.)

All other vacancies before the Council today were filled by acclamation.

Filling places in the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission, it elected Colombia, Ireland, Republic of Korea and Romania to two‑year terms beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2020 or until that country ceases to be a Council member.  In the absence of other candidates, the Council postponed the election of one member from the African States and two States members of the Council for the same term.

Turning to the Commission on Population and Development, it elected El Salvador to a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s fifty-third session in 2019 and expiring at the close of its fifth‑sixth session in 2023.  It postponed the election of five outstanding vacancies for varying terms, including two from the Asia-Pacific States, one from the African States, one from the Latin American and Caribbean States and one from the Western European and other States.

Next, for the Commission for Social Development, it elected Ukraine to a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the body’s fifty-eighth session in 2019 and expiring at the close of its sixty-first session in 2023.  It postponed the election of seven outstanding vacancies of varying terms, including two from the Asia-Pacific States and five from the Western European and other States.

For the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the Council elected Guatemala and Ecuador to three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2021.  It postponed the election of two outstanding vacancies for varying terms — one from the African States and another from the Eastern European States.

Filling a vacancy on the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the Council elected the Dominican Republic for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2022.  It postponed the election of one member from the African States and two from the Latin American and Caribbean States for the same term.

Turning to the Committee for Development Policy, it elected Rolph van der Hoeven (Netherlands), nominated by the Secretary-General, to a term beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2021, filling a vacancy arising from the resignation of Teresa Rivera (Spain).

For the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, it elected Preeti Saran, from the Asia-Pacific States, to fill a remaining vacancy for a term beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2022, thus completing the body’s membership.

Filling an outstanding vacancy on the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, it elected Morocco to a three‑year term beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2021.  It postponed the election of 19 outstanding vacancies of varying terms, including one from the African States, five from the Asia-Pacific States, five from the Latin American and Caribbean States, and seven from the Western European and other States.

Turning next to the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), it elected the United Arab Emirates to a term beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2019, thus completing the Board’s membership.

Following Germany’s resignation from the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), it elected France to complete that country’s term, beginning on 1 January 2019 and expiring on 31 December 2019.

Regarding vacancies to the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council said no nominations have been received.  He reminded delegations that, under the terms of a draft resolution approved by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) on 30 November (document A/C.2/73/L.4/Rev.1), the General Assembly would decide to dissolve the Governing Council as one of its subsidiary organs and replace it with the UN-Habitat Assembly, which would hold its first session in May 2019.

In other business, the Council — adopting, without a vote, a draft decision on further working arrangements for its 2019 session (document E/2019/L.2) — changed the date of a one-day special meeting on international cooperation in tax matters from Friday, 26 April 2019 to Monday, 29 April 2019.

It delayed action on a draft decision (document E/2019/L.3) that would change the theme of its 2019 session to bring it in line with that of the 2019 high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the Council, namely, “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.

The representative of the United States, who requested the delay, said she had not had time to consult her capital on the proposal to change the theme as the delegation had just been apprised of the proposal today.  The capital was closed today as a national day of mourning for United States President George H. W. Bush, she explained.

The Council will meet again at a date and time to be announced, with the regular round of elections to its subsidiary bodies to take place during its management meeting on 7 May 2019.