Work of economic and social council

20 October 2010
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Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York |
Sixty-fifth General Assembly
Plenary
34th Meeting (AM)

General Assembly Takes Up 2010 Report on the Work of Economic and Social Council

Adopts Consensus Resolution Proclaiming
First Week of February Each Year “World Interfaith Harmony Week”

In theprevailing complex economic and financial climate, the work of the Economic and Social Council took on particular relevance, with its specialized discussion forums — the Annual Ministerial Review, the Development Cooperation Forum and the high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions among them — uniquely tailored to address social ills endemic to a world emerging from sharp downturn, theGeneral Assembly heard today as it took up the Council’s 2010 annual report.

Launching the Assembly’s joint debate on the follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits, which featured discussion of the Council’s 2010 report, Council President Hamidon Ali of Malaysia, reflected on the outcomes of the 54-member body this year, saying that its work should be seen in the context ofoverall efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The Annual Ministerial Review — tasked with ensuring the follow-up to outcomes of major conferences, including those promoting achievement of the internationally agreed development goals — had focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment this year, confirming that both issues “sit squarely at the heart of development andpeace worldwide”, Mr. Ali said, presenting the Council’s report.  A record 13 countries had given national voluntary presentations on progress achieved and obstacles faced on such issues.

Meanwhile, the second Development Cooperation Forum had produced action-oriented policy messages on the structure of development cooperation, aid allocation and policy coherence, he said.  The fact that morecountries and stakeholders had been engaged in those discussions this year was an encouraging sign, as was the Forum’s focus on promoting more balanced aid relationships and systems to manage aid funds.

Of particular concern, however, was the ongoing recovery in Haiti, he said, a humanitarian cause to which the Council was firmly committed.  It had extended the mandate of its Ad Hoc AdvisoryGroup on Haiti for two more years.  Looking ahead, he encouraged States to set the stage for a path-breaking substantive session next year.

To do that, many of the nearly 20 speakers said in the debate that followed, the Council must sharpenits focus on coordination of economic, social and related work being carried out by the 14 United Nations specialized agencies, functional commissions, and fiveregional commissions.  Several speakers also pressed developed nations to provide the appropriate resources and technical assistance to help poor countries cope with the impacts of natural disaster and the jobs-related fallout from the global economic crisis.

Others offered suggestions for improving discussions during its substantive session, which is organized around five segments: high-level segment, coordination segment, operational activities segment, humanitarian affairs segment and general segment.

Yemen’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, recalled that his delegation had called for the reforming of the governing structures of the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Tradeand Development (UNCTAD) during the Council’s high-level meeting with those bodies.  Moreover, it had urged that the Development Cooperation Forum not be diverted to specific agendas pursued outside the United Nations framework.  The best ways and means to enhance development cooperation should be decided upon by all States in a transparent manner.

Meanwhile, Belgium’s delegate, speaking on...