India Elected to UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2026-28 Term | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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India Elected to UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2026-28 Term

Posted 05 Jun 2025

2 min read

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:

  • Statistical Commission: Established in 1946, it is the highest body of the global statistical system.
  • Commission on Population and Development: Play primary role in the follow-up to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.
  • Commission on the Status of Women: The principal body dedicated to gender equality, women's rights, and empowerment.
  • Commission on Narcotic Drugs: Analyzes global drug issues, addressing both supply and demand reduction.
  • Other Bodies: Commission for Social Development, Commission on Sustainable Development, UN Forum on Forests, Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Commission on Science and Technology for Development
  • Tags :
  • Statistical Commission
  • ECOSOC
  • Commission on Population and Development
  • Commission on the Status of Women
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