UN Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ECOSOC has 54 members, 18 of whom are elected each year by the General Assembly for a three-year term. Even though all UN members are eligible for election, members representing "First World" countries have been consistently favored over the years. The president is elected for a one-year term and chosen amongst the small or middle powers represented on ECOSOC. Each member of ECOSOC has one vote, and decisions are made by a majority of the members present and voting. ECOSOC meets once a year in July for a four-week session. Since 1998, it has held another meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Related Topics:
United Nations - General Assembly - UN members - First World - 1998 - World Bank - International Monetary Fund

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Viewed separate from the specialized bodies it coordinates, ECOSOC?s functions like those of other UN organs include information gathering, advising member nations, and making recommendations. In addition, ECOSOC is well-positioned to provide policy coherence and coordinate the overlapping functions of the UN?s subsidiary bodies; it is in these roles that it is most active.

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