Economic and Social Council

Growth must not come at the expense of the environment, delegates heard today, as the Economic and Social Council continued its high-level segment week during which ministers and other senior Government officials explored critical components to be included in a cohesive, forward-looking post-2015 development agenda, which should, for the first time, put the environment front and centre.

The post-2015 development agenda must address the urgent challenges of poverty and inequality and build on the successes and shortcomings of the Millennium Development Goals, with measurable targets and scaled-up investments in areas such as education, health, gender equality and youth employment, the Economic and Social Council heard today during high-level parallel events.

As the Economic and Social Council wrapped up the first week of its inaugural high-level political forum, speakers tackled questions and strategies of how, on local, national, regional and global platforms, to integrate sustainable development goals into the post-2015 agenda.

A new accounting method aimed at capturing the value of nature could help Governments make smarter decisions on sustainable development, the Economic and Social Council high-level political forum heard today.

Discussion in the Economic and Social Council high-level political forum today centred around the impact of the past three generations on the next two and the need to “be fair” as actions today would influence quality of life tomorrow.

Implementing sustainable development at the national, regional and international levels faced significant challenges, a senior United Nations official said today as the Economic and Social Council convened a high-level political forum to take up the matter.

The Economic and Social Council today elected a representative from the Latin American and Caribbean States as a Vice-President of its Bureau.

Concluding its three-day humanitarian affairs segment today, the Economic and Social Council adopted a consensus resolution that not only called upon the United Nations to continue enhancing its existing humanitarian capacities but also included new language addressing the frequently protracted nature of displacement resulting from complex crises and emergencies.

Global humanitarian aid actors should adopt policies of solidarity with strife-torn and disaster-stricken communities rather than charity, and ensure aid workers had the requisite skills to deliver their specific mandates, experts on the matter told the Economic and Social Council this afternoon.

With a burgeoning and increasingly complex caseload taxing the global humanitarian aid system, more funding and better ways to help and protect people in strife-torn countries from the Central African Republic to Syria were more vital than ever, speakers said today as the Economic and Social Council began its three-day humanitarian affairs segment.