6. the Economic and Social Council

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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


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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


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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


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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.

Documents

6. the Economic and Social Council