United Nations Economic and Social Council
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; French: Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, CESNU) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organization, specifically in regards to the fifteen specialised agencies, the eight functional commissions, and the five regional commissions under its jurisdiction.
United Nations Economic and Social Council chamber at United Nations headquarters | |
| Abbreviation | ECOSOC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 26 June 1945 |
| Founder | Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar |
| Type | Principal organ of the United Nations |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | New York City, United States; Geneva, Switzerland |
| Paula Narváez | |
Parent organization | United Nations |
| Website | un.org/ecosoc |
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African States (14) Asia-Pacific States (11) Eastern European States (6) Latin American and Caribbean States (10) Western European and Other States (13) Politics portal | |
ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations System. It has 54 members. In addition to a rotating membership of 54 UN member states, over 1,600 nongovernmental organizations have consultative status with the Council to participate in the work of the United Nations.
ECOSOC holds one four-week session each year in July, and since 1998 has also held an annual meeting in April with finance ministers of heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Additionally, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), which reviews the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is convened under the auspices of the Council every July.