NEW YORK: The 75th Anniversary of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is being celebrated on January 23.
In his message on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Munir Akram said that the ECOSOC’s central mandate in the UN Charter is to promote better living standards in larger freedoms through international economic cooperation.
Since the Charter’s adoption, the entire system of international cooperation on economic, social, health, humanitarian, and development issues has been created under the umbrella of the Economic and Social Council.
Today is @UNECOSOC birthday & we are celebrating 75 years of global service to humanity. Did you know? The 1st meeting of ECOSOC took place in London on 23 January 1946. Learn more: https://t.co/PoZh4i2Vtr #UNECOSOC75 #GlobalGoals #SDGs #2030Agenda pic.twitter.com/pEQiLdtzEe
— UN ECOSOC President (@UNECOSOC) January 23, 2021
Today, 20 international organizations, regional commissions, and autonomous entities report annually to the Economic and Social Council.
Over the years, the ECOSOC has been the central body for the discussion of international economic, social, and development policies.
Some of the major development concepts – the 0.7% ODA target; the concept of Special Drawing Rights linked to development, the special and preferential treatment of developing countries in international trade, – were all evolved in ECOSOC’s policy discussions.
It was instrumental in the adoption of the International Development Strategies, the Millennium Development Goals and the crucial for the evolution of the 2030 Agenda for Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Today, the world is facing the most serious global health and economic crisis since the establishment of the UN and the creation of ECOSOC.
The poverty has increased as has hunger. The financial resources required for recovery by the developing countries remain to be mobilized. The achievement of the SDGs is in question.
The threat of climate change appears imminent, and there is no assurance that the vaccine to halt the COVID pandemic will be equitably available to the poorer Countries.
The ECOSOC has the mandate and the responsibility to respond to these challenges.
We must do so at ECOSOC’s FfD forum in April at the Development Cooperation Forum and the High Level Development Cooperation Forum in July.
On the 75th Anniversary of its creation, let us work together to fulfill the mandate and potential of the Economic and Social Council.
