The co-facilitators of the intergovernmental negotiations on the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) review of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) have issued a revised zero draft of the resolution. Member States shared their views and proposals during a line-by-line reading of the draft on 18 and 19 May 2026.

In their letter dated 12 May 2026, the co-facilitators of the informal consultations – Permanent Representative of Barbados François Jackman and Permanent Representative of Malta Natasha Meli – explain that “every effort has been made to reflect and incorporate [Member States’] views and perspectives into a balanced revised draft aimed at facilitating progress toward consensus.” The co-facilitators paid particular attention “to ensuring a concise and streamlined text consistent with the UN80 Initiative.”

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The UN80 reform initiative, launched by the Secretary-General in 2025, aims to make the UN more agile, integrated, and equipped to respond to the global challenges of today amid dwindling resources. To that end, it seeks to: achieve efficiency in the way the UN Secretariat operates (Workstream 1); improve the way mandates are created, delivered, and reviewed (Workstream 2); and carry out structural and programmatic realignments (Workstream 3).

Developed based on the zero draft the co-facilitators introduced on 1 May and following two rounds of informal consultations with Member States, the 15-page draft incorporates reviews of the implementation of UNGA resolution 75/290A on the strengthening of ECOSOC and of the implementation of UNGA resolution 75/290 B on the format and organizational aspects of the HLPF and the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level.

With respect to ECOSOC, the revised zero draft addresses: strengthening its role and leadership; its working methods; enhancing segments, forums, and meetings for greater impact; coherence across intergovernmental organs of the UN; support for ECOSOC Bureau and meetings; and implementation and review.

Regarding the HLPF, the draft focuses on its thematic sessions, themes for and SDGs to be reviewed in 2028 and 2029, reports informing the forum, regional dimension and local action, voluntary national reviews (VNRs), participation, and implementation and review.

Supporting the negotiations on the UNGA’s reviews of ECOSOC and the HLPF are the UN Secretariat’s eight issue briefs on the following themes:

• ECOSOC at a glance;
• HLPF at a glance;
• ECOSOC mandates and evolution of functions;
• ECOSOC guiding and promoting a coherent and coordinated UN system;
• Subsidiary bodies;
• ECOSOC’s relationship with the General Assembly, Security Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council;
• Countries in special situations; and
• Addressing emergency issues.

An independent background paper for the informal deep dives on ECOSOC and the HLPF, prepared as a substantive independent input from CEPEI, is also available.

The UNGA conducts periodic reviews of the functions of ECOSOC and the HLPF. The outcome of the most recent review in 2024 was the call for a full review during the Assembly’s 80th session. [Reviews of ECOSOC and HLPF at UNGA 80]