Economic and Social Council

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended 5 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and postponed its consideration of 43 applications.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended 23 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and postponed its consideration of 39 applications.

Recommending special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for two groups today, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations also postponed consideration of 62 other applications pending receipt of additional information.

Opening its 2010 resumed session today, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations recommended consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for nine non-governmental organizations and postponed consideration of more than two dozen others pending receipt of more information.

Despite predictions of a modest global recovery in 2010 and 2011 — resulting from rising production and world trade, and a tentative rebound in private consumption and business investment — United Nations economic experts warned that widespread joblessness and large public debt in some States, if not well managed, could mean mediocre economic growth in coming years.

The Economic and Social Council today considered its programme of work for its 2010 substantive session, running at New York Headquarters from 28 June to 23 July.

Focusing their second day of talks on two themes identified by the General Assembly for discussion in 2012 — a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development — participants at the first Preparatory Committee meeting for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development urged that new concepts not sideline already agreed sustainable development platforms.

As the rest of the world begins to shake off the worst effects of the global economic and financial crisis, a United Nations report launched today argues that Africa should position itself for long-term development by pursuing an employment-intensive strategy prioritizing sustained growth and increased job-creation.

Calling for a shift from good ideas to focused actions without further delay, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Commission on Sustainable Development today that such actions were needed in order to meet the world’s responsibility towards future generations and to implement commitments already made. “We know what we need to do. We know what works,” the Secretary-General said this afternoon as the Commission concluded its eighteenth session.

On the second day of its high-level segment, the Commission on Sustainable Development held three interactive ministerial dialogues today, with the aim of helping the diverse and growing number of stakeholders in the global push to rebalance consumption and production patterns achieve coherence in the transport, chemicals, waste management and mining sectors.