30 November 2017: The President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has appointed Einar Gunnarsson, Permanent Representative of Iceland, and Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar, as co-facilitators to lead intergovernmental consultations on the review of Resolution 68/1, regarding reform of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Following the adoption of a UNGA resolution in 2013, ECOSOC underwent a series of reforms to strengthen the Council. By that resolution, UN Member States must review the arrangements during the 72nd UNGA session. In addition to intergovernmental consultations, the ECOSOC President will hold informal meetings with Member States and the Council’s subsidiary bodies, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is developing an informal paper and scheduling informal discussions with stakeholders.

Among the reforms mandated by Resolution 68/1, titled, ‘Review of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 61/16 on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council,’ the Council was to: adopt a July-to-July cycle for its programme of work; base its annual programme of work on a main theme that takes into account the role of the Council in promoting sustainable development and enables the Council to promote UN system-wide coherence and coordination; strengthen and further promote implementation of the financing for development (FfD) agenda; promote the active participation of Major Groups, NGOs, other relevant stakeholders and regional organizations in the activities of the Council; further promote the integration of youth into its deliberations; and devote time to the specific needs of countries in special situations.

In his letter dated 30 November, which announces the appointment of co-facilitators, UNGA President Miroslav Lajcak noted that the review process will provide an opportunity to “strengthen ECOSOC’s role in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and to further enhance the Council’s ability to advance the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development.” [UNGA President’s Letter] [About Resolution 68/1] [Overview: The New ECOSOC] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Preparations for Review]