6. the Economic and Social Council

  • Upload
    q4413

  • View
    229

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 8/3/2019 6. the Economic and Social Council

    1/4

    6. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

    Description

    This is the most complex of the UN system, covering the broadest areas

    of activity, the majority of expenditures, and greatest number of

    programmes. Various specialized agencies like ILO, WHO, and FAO, the

    World Bank and the IMF play primary roles in operational activities

    devoted to economic and social advancement. ECOSOC is responsible

    for coordinating those activities. ECOSOC further undertakes research

    and prepares reports on economic and social issues, makes

    recommendations, prepares conventions (treaties) , and convenes

    conferences.

    ECOSOC issues recommendation on specialized agencies, receives

    reports from them but has no control over their budget or their

    secretariats. Recommendations and multilateral conventions drafted

    by ECOSOC require General Assembly approval (and, in case of

    conventions, ratification by member states). The steady expansion of

    UN economic and social activities has left ECOSOC with an

    unmanageable task one that has led to persistent, but largely

    unsuccessful calls for UN reforms. ECOSOC members are elected by the

    General Assembly for a three year terms based on nominations by

    regional blocks. States with ability to pay for social programmes are

    continuously represented. Four of the five permanent members of the

    Security Council (all except China) and major developed nations have

    been continuously elected.

    The UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Fund for Population

    Activities (UNFPA), UN Childrens Fund, and World Food Programme

  • 8/3/2019 6. the Economic and Social Council

    2/4

    report, both, to the General Assembly and ECOSOC, adding to the

    complexity. Agenda includes such diverse topics as housing, narcotics,

    drug control, water resources, desertification, population, trade, rights

    of children, industrial development, literacy, refugees, science andtechnology, the status of women, the problems of the disabled, the

    environment and rights of indigenous peoples. Human rights and

    development form the two largest areas.

    Field Activities

    1.Technical assistance2. Infrastructure development3.Disbursing funds to member countries4.Training people5. Introducing new technologies (through UNDP)6.

    Functional Commissions

    1.Social development2.Human Rights3.Narcotic Drugs4.The Status of women5.Science and Technology for Development6.Sustainable development7.Population and Development8.Crime prevention and criminal Justice9.Statistics, and10. Forests

  • 8/3/2019 6. the Economic and Social Council

    3/4

    Regional commissions (designed to stimulate regional approaches to

    development with regional studies and initiatives):

    1.Economic Commission for Europe2.Economic Commission for Latin America3.Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific4.Economic Commission for Africa5.Economic Commission for Western Asia

    Problems

    1.Some of the specialized agencies such as ILO are older thanECOSOC.

    2.While ILO serves as a model for relationship of specializedagencies with ECOSOC, Bretton-Woods institutions (the World

    Bank and the IMF) have a weighted voting. See:

    http://www.globaleconomicgovernance.org/wp-

    content/uploads/UN%20Woods%20Final.pdf

    3.The specializes agencies are geographically dispersed in Geneva,Rome, Paris, Montreal, Washington, London and Berne. The

    dispersal effects efficiency, budgets and coordination.

    4.Despite their links with ECOSOC, the specialized agencies operatequite independently.

    5.The Director-Generals of the agencies have the same diplomaticrank as the UNs secretary General. They have often perceived

    themselves as operating their own fiefdoms.

    6.Objectives of specialized agencies differ yet at times they carryout similar activities. For instance, ILO activities include

    http://www.globaleconomicgovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/UN%20Woods%20Final.pdfhttp://www.globaleconomicgovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/UN%20Woods%20Final.pdfhttp://www.globaleconomicgovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/UN%20Woods%20Final.pdfhttp://www.globaleconomicgovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/UN%20Woods%20Final.pdfhttp://www.globaleconomicgovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/UN%20Woods%20Final.pdf
  • 8/3/2019 6. the Economic and Social Council

    4/4

    employment promotion, vocational guidance, social security,

    safety and health, labour laws and relations, and rural institutions.

    These overlap FAOs concern with land reform, UNESCOs

    mandate in education, WHOs focus on health standards, andUnited Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)s

    concern with manpower in small industries. The result is constant

    coordination problems.

    7.National governments have their own problems e.g. capacity toabsorb new technology, corrupt regimes, inefficient ministries.