22 July 2014: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has adopted the provisional agenda and agreed on themes for the 2015 and 2016 sessions. The organizational session for ECOSOC’s 2015 segment took place in New York, US, from 21-22 July 2014.

ECOSOC President Martin Sajdik (Austria) said the Council’s 2014 session, including its first integration segment and the first High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) under the Council’s auspices, had consolidated sustainable development in the UN’s work and resulted in the adoption of Ministerial Declarations by the Council’s high-level segment and the HLPF. Sajdik looked forward to building on these achievements during the 2015 session, noting that negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda would reach a conclusion in 2015. Sajdik also informed the Council that will coordinate preparations for the 2015 HLPF under the auspices of the Council.

The Council’s provisional agenda for the 2015 session (E/2015/1) includes: its High-level Segment, including the HLPF, a High-level Policy Dialogue with international financial and trade institutions, the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) and a Thematic discussion; operational activities of the UN for international development cooperation; its integration segment; implementation of and follow-up to major UN conferences and summits, including the International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD), and review and coordination of the implementation of the Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for the Decade 2011-2020.

The Council also is expected to address economic and environmental questions, including on sustainable development, science and technology for development, statistics, human settlements, environment, international cooperation in tax matters and the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF). Social and human rights questions that will be addressed by the Council include: advancement of women, social development, human rights and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII).

The Council agreed that the theme for its 2015 session will be ‘Managing the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the sustainable development goals: What will it take?’ For its 2016 session, the theme will be ‘Implementing the post-2015 development agenda: Moving from commitments to results’ (E/2014/L.24). In addition, for the integration segment of its 2015 session, it agreed the theme will be ‘Achieving sustainable development through employment creation and decent work for all’ (E/2014/L.23).

On 22 July, Sajdik introduced the working arrangements for ECOSOC’s 2015 session (E/2015/L1), noting the document does not contain programme budget implications (PBI). He informed participants that the draft text has been revised to include the dates for HLPF 3, which will take place on Friday, 26 June, and continue from Monday, 29 June, to Wednesday, 8 July. The Council then adopted the arrangements, as orally revised (E/2015/L.1/Rev.1). [ECOSOC Press Release, 21 July] [ECOSOC Press Release, 22 July] [ECOSOC Provisional Agenda (E/2015/1)] [ECOSOC Website] [IISD RS Coverage of HLPF 2] [E/2014/L.24] E/2014/L.23] [E/2015/L.1/Rev.1]