MANDATE
World Summit Outcome
At the 2005 World Summit , in paragraph 155 of the World Summit Outcome Document , Heads of State and Government mandated the Economic and Social Council with ensuring the follow-up of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits, including the internationally agreed development goals, and to hold annual ministerial-level substantive reviews (AMRs) to assess progress, drawing on its functional and regional commissions and other international institutions, in accordance with their respective mandates.
Strengthening of ECOSOC
In follow up to the World Summit, the General Assembly adopted resolution 61/16 on the “Strengthening of the Economic and Social Council”. In its resolution, the General Assembly decided that the AMR should
- be held as part of its high-level segment.
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be conducted by means of a cross-sectoral approach focusing on thematic issues common to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields, including the MDGs and other IADGs
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review progress made in the implementation of the outcomes of those conferences and summits and their follow-up processes and;
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assess its impact on the achievement of the goals and targets of the conferences and summits.
In this regard, the General Assembly:
- recommended that such reviews provide an opportunity for countries to make voluntary national presentations;
- requested the Council to urge the functional commissions and other relevant subsidiary bodies and follow-up mechanisms, as appropriate, to contribute, in accordance with their mandates and taking into account their specificity, to the assessment;
- recommended that the Council establish a multi-year programme of work for the ministerial-level substantive reviews;
- invited the organizations of the UNs system, including the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization, to contribute within their respective mandates to the consideration by the Council.
It also requested ECOSOC to urge the UN regional commissions, in collaboration with other regional and subregional organizations and processes, as appropriate,
- to contribute, within their mandates, to the review of progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major UN Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields and
- to provide input to the discussions of the Council in accordance with its rules of procedure.