ECOSOC is currently gearing up for its Forums and Segments scheduled for 2024. More information can be found in the draft resolution (E/2024/L.1) of July 2023.
ECOSOC Events
Joint Meeting of the ECOSOC with the Second Committee of the General Assembly: “Leveraging Commodities for Sustainable Economic Development”
UN Photo/Manuel Elías
On 10 October 2023, the Joint Meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Second Committee of the General Assembly was convened under the theme "Leveraging Commodities for Sustainable Economic Development". The focus was on identifying key policies that could enhance the position of countries in international markets, emphasizing the pressing need to explore innovative solutions for financing economic development to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the event, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Laureate, Co-Chair of the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation, and a distinguished figure at Columbia University, delivered a keynote speech. In his address, he stated that developing countries and emerging markets often do not receive fair compensation for their natural resources, while companies use their market power to avoid paying for environmental damage caused by resource extraction. (Opening and Closing Remarks by the President of ECOSOC)
Other Events
2023 SDG Summit
The second SDG Summit took place on 18-19 September 2023, within the High-level Week of the UN General Assembly in New York. The summit served as a mid-point assessment of the progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aimed to review the current state of SDG implementation, provide policy guidance, stimulate action to expedite progress, and address emerging challenges since 2015. The event featured participation from 145 Heads of State and Government, Ministers, intergovernmental organizations, the UN system, and stakeholders, who delivered statements. A Political Declaration was adopted at the opening of the event. (Opening Remarks at the 2023 SDG Summit by the President of ECOSOC)
High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development
The High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development took place on 20 September 2023 at UN Headquarters, following-up on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), which was adopted in 2015. The AAAA provides a new global framework for funding sustainable development by aligning all financing flows and policies with economic, social and environmental priorities. The main outcome of the event was on renewing the commitments and initiatives by countries and other stakeholders to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda. (Closing Remarks by the President of ECOSOC)
High-level Meeting on the Fight Against Tuberculosis
The UN General Assembly held the second high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis on 22 September 2023, under the theme, “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular, by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care.” The main objective of the meeting was to conduct a comprehensive review of progress in the context of achieving the targets set in the Political Declaration of the 2018 High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Fight Against Tuberculosis, and in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The President of ECOSOC called for decisive action in her statement: “I urge you to show ambition and dynamism, so that we can win this battle against tuberculosis, for the current and next generations. ECOSOC will help, decisively, on this effort. Let’s use this historic opportunity to save millions of lives and, together, end tuberculosis for once and for all.” (Opening Statement by the President of ECOSOC)
54th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council
UN Photo/Jean Marc Ferré
From 11 September to 6 October 2023, the Human Rights Council convened its 54th regular session. It concluded with the adoption of 36 resolutions and a President's statement. Key outcomes included the establishment of an international fact-finding mission for Sudan, the formation of a working group for rural rights, and the decision to present the draft international covenant on the right to development to the General Assembly for consideration and adoption. (Statement by the President of ECOSOC)
Fifth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Fifth Session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean took place from 3-5 October 2023 in Santiago, Chile. Organized by ECLAC, the Government of Chile, and UNDP, the conference addressed challenges such as high poverty levels, informal employment, and environmental crises in the region. Delegates emphasized the need for inclusive governance and the integration of economic and social policies to develop resilient social protection systems to achieve the SDGs. The event concluded with a resolution highlighting the importance of social institutional frameworks and multilateral cooperation in the region's development. (Statement by the President of ECOSOC)
10th Session of the UN-GGIM Regional Committee for the Americas
The 10th session of the United Nations Regional Committee for Global Geospatial Information Management for the Americas (UN-GGIM: Americas) took place from 17-20 October 2023, at the ECLAC headquarters in Chile. The meeting's primary goals were to follow up on the progress of the work agenda of the Regional Committee, monitor the implementation of UN geospatial guidelines in Member States, foster collaboration, and facilitate the exchange of ideas to enhance national geospatial information management initiatives. (Statement by the President of ECOSOC)
8th World Investment Forum
The biennial UNCTAD World Investment Forum on 16-20 October 2023 in Abu Dhabi brought together Heads of State and Government, CEOs, ministers, and international leaders to address global investment and development challenges. The 8th forum focused on addressing global crises, among them, food security, energy, health, and climate change under the theme of Investing in Sustainable Development, with outcomes contributing to the COP negotiations on climate finance and investment. (Statement at the Investment Ministerial Roundtable and Remarks on the High-Level Closing Roundtable by the President of ECOSOC)
51st Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 51)
The Committee on World Food Security held its 51st plenary session (CFS 51) from 23-27 October 2023, in a hybrid format in Rome, Italy. The session focused on strengthening coordinated policy responses to food crises, and the interlinkages with global food security. (Statement by the President of ECOSOC)
International Day of Care and Support
In observance of theInternational Day of Care and Supporton 29 October 2023, the President of ECOSOC delivered a statement in which she stressed the urgent need to recognize and value unpaid domestic and care work as an accelerator for advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls within the framework of SDG 5. In order “to effectively implement this agenda, we must combat gender stereotypes about care and support work and reduce occupational segregation in this sector”. (Statement by the President of ECOSOC)
SDG Actions
Health clinics in Haat Bazaars in India
For people living in the forests of forests of Chhattisgarh, India, getting basic health care used to be difficult because of lack of roads and infrastructure. The Government of India found a way to bring healthcare closer to them by establishing mobile clinics with a comprehensive range of services in weekly markets, called Haat Bazaars. The markets are among the main cultural, economic and social hubs of communities in the area and provides an opportunity to reach people in a way that adapts to their needs. (By the World Health Organization - WHO)