6 September 2012: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has adopted a resolution on its role in the implementation of the outcomes of major UN conferences and summits. The resolution, adopted during ECOSOC’s 2012 Substantive Session, recalls the commitment made at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) regarding strengthening ECOSOC within its mandate under the UN Charter, and requests the UN Secretary-General to submit to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), at its 67th Session, a report containing proposals for strengthening it to effectively fulfill its functions.

In the resolution, titled “Role of the Economic and Social Council in the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits, in the light of relevant General Assembly resolutions, including resolution 61/16” (E/RES/2012/30), ECOSOC calls on its functional commissions, regional commissions and other subsidiary bodies to support the Council in the “integrated and coordinated implementation” of the outcomes of all major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social, environmental and related fields.

The report requested of the UN Secretary-General is to be prepared within the framework of the review of the implementation of UNGA resolution 61/16, Strengthening of the Economic and Social Council. [E/RES/2012/30]