ECOSOC membership is allocated based on equitable geographical representation across 5 regional groups: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, Latin American & Caribbean, and Western European and other States.
- India was elected in the Asia-Pacific States category (it has 4 seats) along with Lebanon, Turkmenistan, China.
About UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- Headquarter: New York (USA)
- Genesis: The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations.
- Nature: It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed-upon goals.
- Members: It consists of 54 members, 18 of which are elected each year by the General Assembly for a three-year term; Each member has one vote.
Functions of ECOSOC
- Coordination: ECOSOC coordinates the work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, ten functional commissions and five regional commissions.
- Policy Recommendation: It receives reports from nine UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the UN system and to Member States.
- Under the UN Charter, ECOSOC is responsible for:
- Promote higher standards of living, full employment, and economic and social progress
- Identify solutions to international economic, social and health problems;
- Facilitate international cultural and educational cooperation;
- Encourage universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
ECOSOC’s Functional Commissions:
|