Meetings Coverage and Press Releases

Economic and Social Council: Meetings Coverage

ECOSOC/6543

Economic and Social Council Continues General Segment, Takes up Matters Regarding Decolonization, Regional Cooperation, Environment

Continuing its general segment, the Economic and Social Council today took up a host of issues, including implementation of the Declaration on Decolonization, regional cooperation and socioeconomic challenges in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Council’s busy day also included the adoption of recommendations on economic and environmental questions. It also adopted five decisions, including one on statistics, three on population and development, and another on cartography.

ECOSOC/6542

While Making Measured Progress, Least Developed Countries Still Need Help Building Productive Capacities, High Representative Tells Economic and Social Council

A prosperous future for the world’s 48 poorest nations hinged on continued support for building their productive capacities, improving their access to technology and integrating into their national development plans the Istanbul Programme of Action, which aimed to see at least half of those countries graduate from their “least developed” status by 2030, the Economic and Social Council heard today, as it examined those challenges with a focus on Haiti and South Sudan.
ECOSOC/6541

Millennium Development Goals ‘Galvanizing but Too Narrow’ Economic and Social Council Told as Speakers Urge ‘Transformative’ Post-2015 Development Agenda

Launching the General Segment and final week of its 2012 session, the Economic and Social Council today addressed a variety of topics, including issues related to development and programme coordination — ranging from principles to guide a post-2015 development strategy to the work of United Nations-accredited non-governmental organizations.
ECOSOC/6540

Economic and Social Council Adopts Text on Strengthening Humanitarian Assistance; Data Collection, Decision-Making, Partnerships, Funding among Issues Highlighted

Expressing grave concern at the increasing number of people affected by humanitarian emergencies, the Economic and Social Council today pressed the United Nations and Member States — by a consensus resolution — to bolster partnerships and further develop common mechanisms to assess the needs of the affected communities in order to ensure the effective use of resources, as it concluded its three-day humanitarian affairs segment.
ECOSOC/6539

Economic and Social Council Panel on Evidence-Based, Timely Humanitarian Decision-Making Spotlights ‘Enormous Potential’ of Facebook, Twitter, Cell Phone Data

Reaching people most in need during complex crises — sparked by conflict, extreme weather or natural disaster — required humanitarian actors to better use, validate and share information from a range of sources throughout the programming cycle, the Economic and Social Council heard today during a dynamic panel discussion on improving the capacities of evidence-based humanitarian decision-making.
ECOSOC/6538

Addressing Economic and Social Council, Emergency Relief Coordinator Stresses Need for Sound Decision-Making, Broader Partnerships for Humanitarian Response

Basing humanitarian responses on reliable data and tapping the expertise of local partners were vital to bringing relief aid to areas and communities in need, top United Nations officials said this afternoon, as the Economic and Social Council began its humanitarian affairs segment. “To make the best use of resources for humanitarian response, decision-making must be based on evidence from reliable data,” said Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
ECOSOC/6537

Differences Are Source of Strength, Heads of Funds, Programmes Say, Urge Flexible, Agile UN System, as Economic and Social Council Wraps up Operational Segment

The United Nations must define a results-oriented “One UN” strategy — one aimed at harmonizing the Organization’s development activities while still allowing individual funds and programmes to retain their autonomy — as its main approach at the country level, said top officials and Executive Board members of several entities today as they addressed the Economic and Social Council.
ECOSOC/6536

‘Everything We Do Should Be Judged by How It Impacts the People We Are Serving,’ Economic and Social Council Told in Session with Heads of UN Funds, Programmes

In a rapidly changing global environment, an effective, results-oriented United Nations development system was more important than ever, requiring the Organization’s funds and programmes to improve accountability between Headquarters and field offices, reduce transaction costs and build national capacities so that countries could better take charge of their own economic destinies, senior officials from those bodies stressed in the Economic and Social Council today.

ECOSOC/6535

Economic and Social Council Begins Consideration of United Nations Operational Activities, Under-Secretary-General Urges Enhanced Coordination, Coherence

While “significant” gains had been made in enhancing the coordination of the United Nations development system, the Organization’s ability to swiftly respond to Government requests for assistance must be improved by simplifying programming, decentralizing decision-making and achieving efficiency by providing predictable resources, the Economic and Social Council heard today, as it launched its operational activities segment.
ECOSOC/6534

Economic and Social Council Encourages United Nations System to Strengthen Efforts to Raise Profile of Global Education Agenda, Maximize Results Towards Agreed Goals

Recognizing the growing issue of youth unemployment and the importance of education to enhance their employability, the Economic and Social Council pressed the United Nations and the relevant international financial institutions today — by a consensus resolution — to strengthen collaboration to advance technical and vocational training, as well as other international education targets.