Economic and Social Council

Midway through its two-week session, the United Nations Forum on Forests took stock this afternoon of the progress made by its two working groups, while considering plans for its work during the second week.

The loss and degradation of the world’s forests continued at a high rate owing to neglect of the social and cultural factors of forestry, Lambert Okrah, focal point for non-governmental organizations, said today as the United Nations Forum on Forests held the multi-stakeholder dialogue segment of its ninth session.

The ninth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests continued today with resounding calls for the empowerment of local communities — including indigenous and other vulnerable groups — to participate in forest governance.

As the United Nations Forum on Forests began its ninth session today, the world body’s top development official stressed the need for a people-centred approach to managing forest lands, which would take into account not only their environmental riches but also their economic, social and cultural value.

Strategies that can help the world’s forests to promote social development, livelihoods and poverty eradication will be the focus of the United Nations Forum on Forests, which will meet from 24 January to 4 February. The Forum, which consists of all 192 Members of the United Nations, aims to emphasize the role and needs of people who depend on forests at a time when unsustainable practices and economic crises continue to threaten healthy forests.

This year would be an important one for the United Nations and its work around the world, and the Economic and Social Council would be an important actor in addressing the eight strategic opportunities identified by the Secretary-General as capable of reaping the greatest gains, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s remarks to the organizational session of the Economic and Social Council, in New York, today, 19 January:

Concluding its 2010 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council today elected members to some of its subsidiary bodies, adopted one draft resolution and postponed consideration of several other items until next year’s session.

Concerned over the persistent backlog of reports of States parties awaiting consideration, the Economic and Social Council today adopted a resolution asking its Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to improve its working methods in order to enable the Council to determine how to address that backlog, including by temporarily giving it more time if necessary, and to report back to the Council’s July 2011 session on efforts to do so.

Bringing the United Nations another step closer to the official 1 January 2010 launch of “UN Women”, the Economic and Social Council today elected - by acclamation and by secret ballot – the 41 inaugural members to the Executive Board of the new entity established to meet the unique and often under-represented needs of women and girls worldwide.