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Hot Topics
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
As a central body for articulating development policy and ensuring policy coherence, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has unique strengths to carry out on the development commitments that have emerged from United Nations conferences and summits, including the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
At the 2005 World Summit, Member States reiterated that ECOSOC was responsible for promoting the implementation of the international development goals including the Millennium Development Goals. In the past few years, the theme of the
Annual Ministerial Review (AMR)
focused on the MDGs. In 2008, the Review stressed the issue of Sustainable Development, touching upon environmental sustainability, and in 2009, it will focus on Global Health. Member states are encouraged to voluntarily report on the situations in their respective countries and to share insights on how the MDGs can be reached more rapidly and more effectively.
Climate Change
The 2008 High-level Segment of ECOSOC addressed, among others, the issue of climate change. ECOSOC agreed that addressing the issue of climate change effectively requires comprehensive approach encompassing the challenges of economic growth and development, food security and energy. It also requires concerted actions at the global, regional and national levels to tackle these challenges and strengthen the concept of sustainable development and thus its implementation.
Financing for Development
ECOSOC plays an important role in the follow-up to the Conference on Financing for Development. The ECOSOC Spring meetings with the Bretton Wood Institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development provide an opportunity for delegations to follow up on the financing for development process and contribution to advance its implementation.
The 2009 Spring Meeting will focus on responding to the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development which mandated ECOSOC to consider its follow-up during its Spring Meeting and its 2009 Substantive Session.
Food Crisis
At the 2005 World Summit, Member States called on ECOSOC to better respond to developments in the international economic, environmental and social fields, as well as to support and complement international efforts aimed at addressing humanitarian emergencies. As part of ECOSOC's renewed efforts to be more proactive in forging more coherent responses to emergencies, the Council addressed the issue of the food crisis in 2005 and 2008, calling for, among other things, increased investment in agricultural and rural development, and strengthened food security. A presidential statement was issued in 2008 urging Member States and stakeholders to act urgently.
Gender Equality
In 2010, the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) will focus on the topic of "Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and empowerment of women". The AMR provides an opportunity for ECOSOC to put spotlight on the gender equality related Millennium Development Goals, and to help develop comprehensive strategies.
Global Public Health
In July 2009, the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) focused on the theme "implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health". This session brougth together world leaders to try to find appropriate ways to strengthen health systems to serve all, especially the poorest and most vulnerable worldwide.
The Council organized in February 2009 a Philanthropy event where private sector actors and foundations participated in the discussion on Public Health. An Innovation Fair was also organized during the substantive session of the ECOSOC where national governments, civil society actors, United Nations agencies, and foundations shared their best practices in global public health.
Humanitarian Emergencies
ECOSOC is working to strengthen the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance. Every year, the Council holds its Humanitarian Affairs Segment which provides an important forum for review of the humanitarian affairs activities of the United Nations system and for their coordination. It also focuses on the continuum between relief, reconstruction and long term development. The successes and challenges in response to the tsunami, the problems of the global food crisis and Avian Influenza have been addressed by ECOSOC at its humanitarian emergencies
International Development Cooperation
ECOSOC aims to strengthen the quality of development cooperation through its biennial high-level
Development Cooperation Forum (DCF)
. The first DCF took place in New York, on 30 June - 1 July 2008. This first meeting of the Forum succeeded in helping to establish the role of the ECOSOC as convener of multi-stakeholder consultations on key development issues and several key policy recommendations were reflected in the Accra Action Agenda.
At the second 2010 DCF which took place on 29-30 June 2010, the deliberations served to provide strategic input to the
High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals
, to be held in September 2010. Contributions by all stakeholders including national governments, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society and local governments were instrumental to bringing forth action oriented recommendations on promoting development cooperation and making it more coherent and effective.
Peacebuilding
Given the integral role of social and economic issues in post-conflict peacebuilding, ECOSOC has demonstrated its expertise in this area. The ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Groups on African countries emerging from conflict and on Haiti have underscored the need to mobilize donor assistance while encouraging national authorities to create a favorable environment for increased support. The Council is also making a step forward in strengthening its relationship with the Peacebuilding Commission.
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QCPR
The Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of UN operational activities for development (QCPR)
is the mechanism through which the General Assembly assesses the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact of UN operational activities for development and establishes system-wide policy orientations for the development cooperation and country-level modalities of the UN system in response to the evolving international development cooperation environment.
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