New York, 10 June, 2023 (GNP): Pakistan was elected on Thursday to serve a three-year term commencing on January 1, 2024, as a member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN’s economic body.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, congratulated the country on being elected by the UN General Assembly as a member of the ECOSOC.
Great news from New York! Pakistan elected as member of ECOSOC for a 3-year term by the UN General Assembly. Congratulations to our UN team in MoFA and our Mission in New York for running a succesful campaign. https://t.co/LldLWA7TZD
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) June 8, 2023
The South Asian nation, which received 129 votes during balloting among the 193 assembly members, will join for three years, commencing on January 1, 2024.
Iraq, Japan, Nepal, and Tajikistan were the other contestants for one of the three Asian seats, along with Pakistan. The election needed 124 votes to pass with a two-thirds majority.
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After winning the election, Ambassador Munir Akram stated in an interview, “We hope to play yet again our active role in the forum of ECOSOC by fostering agreement on the structure and content of new, more dynamic and equitable structure of international economic cooperation.”
He added that Pakistan would contribute to reaching an agreement on the strategies for resolving the current issues and reviving the possibilities for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“I also appreciate my team at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations for their hard work and dedication in securing this election,” Ambassador Akram said.
Furthermore, Japan, with 127 votes, and Nepal, with 145 votes, were elected on the Asian seats. Meanwhile, Iraq, with 50 votes, and Tajikistan, with 120 votes, failed to advance.
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In the past, Pakistan has served on the ECOSOC ten times, including six times as the 54-member body’s president (1952, 1957, 1975, 1995, 2005, and 2020).
The 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions, and five regional commissions all work under the supervision of ECOSOC.
The ECOSOC is a principal UN organ that serves as the main forum for addressing global economic and social issues and developing policy recommendations for the member states and the United Nations system.
