August 2003: The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held its 2003 substantive session in Geneva, Switzerland from 30 June to 25 July 2003.

The session included a High-Level Segment, a coordination segment, a humanitarian segment, a general segment and a concluding session. Panels and discussions during the session addressed, inter alia, rural development, the plight of 49 of the world’s poorest countries, factoring HIV/AIDS into relief efforts, and how to assist conflict-torn Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Angola to enjoy stability and transition from relief to development.

“Promoting an integrated approach to rural development in developing countries for poverty eradication and sustainable development” was the theme for the high-level segment, which took place from 30 June to 2 July 2003. Participants in the meeting’s Plenary sessions and round-table discussions emphasized rural development’s key role in achieving the goals set by the 2000 Millennium Summit. Issues related to agricultural subsidies, growth enabling environments, fair terms of trade, investment in social services and infrastructure, and the expectations of developed and developing countries were also raised.

A Ministerial Declaration was adopted at the conclusion of the Segment. It called for, inter alia, the reduction and elimination of agricultural subsidies, the implementation of the commitments developed countries made at the Doha trade conference in 2001 to facilitate market access for the products of developing countries, and pursuit of rural development through an integrated approach encompassing the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

The coordination segment convened from 8-10 July 2003 and considered “the role of the ECOSOC in the integrated and coordinated implementation of the outcomes of and follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.” ECOSOC adopted a decision welcoming the UN General Assembly resolution on this topic and the GA’s request for the establishment of a multi-year work programme for ECOSOC’s coordination segment, based on a list of cross-sectoral thematic issues common to the outcomes of major UN conferences and summits.
Another decision adopted during the session was a resolution recommending that the UN General Assembly designate the World Tourism Organization a specialized agency of the UN. The World Tourism Organization is an intergovernmental organization that serves as a global forum for tourism policy and issues. The status change would put the organization on the same footing as other UN agencies, such as the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and would give it a voting role in inter-agency mechanisms such as the chief executives’ boards.
For more information on statements made during the Segment, see:
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/ecosoc6058.doc.htm
Secretary-General Annan’s statement to the High-Level Segment can be found at:
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/sgsm8767.doc.htm
UN news stories on the Segment are at:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=7593&Cr=ecosoc&Cr1= and
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=7603&Cr=ecosoc&Cr1=
The ECOSOC homepage is at:
http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ecosoc/