Economic and Social Council

The United Nations Forum on Forests today launched two vital initiatives: an intergovernmental expert group to conduct in-depth analysis of all aspects of forest financing over the next four years; and a “facilitative process” on forest financing, to assist countries to mobilize funding from all sources.

The World Survey on the Role of Women in Development points to long-standing inequalities in access to economic and financial resources, which had placed women at a disadvantage in relation to men in economic development, the Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women said at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

With just over a month left before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, countries will discuss one of the linchpin issues for a new climate deal -- the transfer of technology -- at a two-day meeting in New Delhi from 22 to 23 October.

The Commission on the Status of Women ‑‑ the United Nations’ principal policymaking body dedicated to gender equality and women’s advancement ‑‑ today elected by acclamation Garen Nazarian, of Armenia, as Chairperson of its fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth sessions.

During its resumed substantive session for 2009, the Economic and Social Council this afternoon elected by secret ballot Jorge Montano (Mexico) to serve effective immediately as a member of the International Narcotics Control Board until 1 March 2012. Mr. Montano was elected to replace Maria Elena Medina-Mora Icaza (Mexico), who resigned. He received 40 of 46 votes. Two delegates who were present abstained from the voting.

Launching "The World Economic and Social Survey 2009: Promoting Development, Saving the Planet" at Headquarters today, a high-level official of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs said that pursuing the two goals of fighting climate change and simultaneously meeting development demands would require a global public policy agenda, as market mechanisms were not the most effective instruments to drive change.

Following a recent mission to Bolivia and Paraguay, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues released two reports today expressing grave concern over forced labour suffered by indigenous peoples in the Chaco regions of those two countries.

In a bid to transform the historic 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into “living law”, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues closed its eighth session today by adopting a text that invited States to adopt or endorse the document, substantively inform the Forum about its implementation and effectiveness, and recommended that they do the same in core reports to human rights treaty bodies and the Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review.

The semi-slavery of the Guarani and other indigenous peoples of the Chaco region must swiftly end, with their grievances redressed and land rights restored, members of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues told delegates today, revealing findings from their mission to Paraguay and Bolivia.

Agriculture was a mainstay of development in Africa, but was also a neglected sector, Robert Vos, Director, Development Policy and Analysis Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, told correspondents today at the launch of the 2009 Africa Economic Report, adding that “regional value chains” could enhance African agricultural markets through cooperation, rather than focusing on competition between African countries.