27 June 2013: The co-facilitators of the process to review the implementation of UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 61/16 on strengthening the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) have paused informal informal consultations until August 2013. They said a new co-facilitators’ draft compromise text, based on Member States’ inputs, will be available on 15 August, and serve as the basis for resumed consultations.

The next round of consultations is planned for 27 August-11 September 2013, on a daily basis, at UN Headquarters in New York, US.

The co-facilitators, Ambassador Bénédicte Frankinet of Belgium and Ambassador George Talbot of Guyana, proposed the hiatus in consideration of the recent agreement on a draft resolution establishing the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) and the start of the 2013 substantive session of ECOSOC. Member State representatives voiced agreement with the decision and are expected to submit written inputs for the compromise text in July 2013. [IISD RS Story on 61/16 Consultations] [ECOSOC Webpage on 61/16 Review] [IISD RS Story on HLPF Agreement] [IISD RS Sources]