In a briefing to Member States, the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2019 was presented to the ECOSOC by United Nations Chief Economist and Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development Elliott Harris, and Matthias Kempf, Senior Economist in the Global Economic Monitoring Branch. Her Excellency Rhonda King, President of the ECOSOC, said that “we will learn today from the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2019 that even though global economic growth appears firm, the current global economy also contains underlying risks, imbalances and fragilities. Inequalities continue. Many low-income earners are not experiencing growth in their disposable income, and more than half of the world population has no access to social protection. These elements have implications for the interlinked Goals of eradicating poverty, creating decent work for all, reducing inequality and achieving the 2030 Agenda as a whole.” Key messages and the baseline forecast of the report were highlighted in the presentation, as well as risks, notably high debt levels, persistent inequality and climate change.  Ms. King added, “as we consider the World Economic Situation and Prospects today, I am convinced that an open discussion will lead to a richer set of proposals for sustainable development and better informed policy recommendations. I am committed to connecting today’s ideas to the ECOSOC High-level Segment in July in the pursuit of the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”