Norway to lead UN’s central platform for development policy

Ecosoc is the UN’s central platform for sustainable development. The President of Ecosoc plays a key role in the UN, with responsibility for following up the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the financing for development agenda.

‘Norway has taken on this task because we are a strong supporter of the UN and the SDGs. Our aim in this role is to strengthen a key part of the multilateral system, which is crucial for the UN’s work all over the world,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

Ecosoc is made up of 54 member states and is the UN’s main body for the formulation of development policy. It is one of the six main organs of the UN, which also include the Security Council, the General Assembly, and the UN Secretariat.

‘Norway will use its presidency of Ecosoc to promote common solutions to the challenges facing the world today. We have not succeeded in mobilising the resources we need to reach the SDGs. We will therefore highlight the financing for development agenda as an overall priority for Ecosoc in the coming year,’ said Minister of International Development Dag-Inge Ulstein.

Ecosoc is an ecosystem of forums for development policy discussions, expert committees and commissions.

‘UN meeting rooms in New York can feel far removed from the everyday life of young girls in Uganda. For me, it is important that cooperation in the UN and Ecosoc is meaningful to us all. For example, Ecosoc is following up how UN reform is working in practice,’ commented Norway’s Ambassador to the UN and President of Ecosoc Mona Juul.