The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which serves as the central United Nations forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations, will hold its 2009 substantive session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 6 to 31 July.

A high-level segment, which will be held from 6 to 9 July, will focus on current global and national trends and their impact on social development, including health. At 9:30 a.m. on Monday, 6 July, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will open the segment, which will then hear addresses by ECOSOC President Sylvia Lucas and by Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz. During this segment, in addition to a thematic debate on this year’s theme, participants will hold a high-level policy dialogue with the heads of the international financial institutions and undertake the Annual Ministerial Review, hearing national presentations from eight countries.

An Innovation Fair, showcasing some groundbreaking practices in the area of global public health and providing an opportunity for policymakers to interact with innovators from the private sector, foundations and other civil society organizations, will run parallel to the high-level segment.

The coordination segment, which will take place from 10 to 14 July, will focus on the follow-up to the 2008 Ministerial Declaration on implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to sustainable development. The segment will also review progress made by the Council in promoting the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the major United Nations Conferences and Summits.

The segment on operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation will be held from 15 to 17 July. This will be followed by the humanitarian affairs segment from 20 to 22 July.

During the general segment, which will run from 23 to 30 July, ECOSOC will undertake follow-up, review and evaluation of major conferences and reports and take relevant action.

Action on outstanding draft proposals will take place on 31 July before ECOSOC concludes its substantive session.

The proposed programme of work for the session can be found in document E/2009/L.8 and the annotated provisional agenda, which includes details on documentation available, can be found in document E/2009/100.

High-Level Segment (6-9 July)

Following opening addresses by the Secretary-General, the President of ECOSOC and the Swiss President, the Council will hear a number of keynote speeches, led by World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan, including by Haitian Prime Minister Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, the Foreign Ministers of Luxembourg and Estonia, and Princess Muna al-Hussein of Jordan. It will then hear a number of policy statements from international and regional organizations in the health area. In the afternoon of its opening day, the Council will hold a High-Level Policy Dialogue with the Heads of International Financial and Trade Institutions (the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organization), which will focus on major developments in the world economy and international economic cooperation.

On Tuesday, 7 July, ECOSOC will begin its annual Ministerial Review, hearing national presentations from Bolivia, China, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Japan, Mali, Sri Lanka and Sudan, which will continue through the morning of Wednesday 8 July. In the afternoon of 8 July, the Secretary-General’s report related to the thematic discussion will be presented, following which the Council will hold its general debate on the question, which is expected to culminate in the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration on current global and national trends and their impact on social development, including health.

Coordination Segment (10-14 July)

Under this segment, the Council will focus on the follow-up to the 2008 Ministerial Declaration on implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to sustainable development, as well as review progress made by the Council in promoting the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the major United Nations Conferences and Summits, including the World Summit on the Information Society. Four panel discussions will be held on the following themes: the role of the United Nations system in promoting sustainable development in the context of current challenges; the impacts of the financial and economic crises on sustainable development, particularly their social implications; efforts towards a United Nations comprehensive response to the challenges of climate change; and effective sustainable development strategies: country level experience.

At the end of its work, the coordination segment is expected to adopt two resolutions – on implementing internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to sustainable development; and on the role of ECOSOC in the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes to major United Nations conferences and summits.

Operational Activities Segment (15-17 July)

This segment, which starts on Wednesday, 15 July, will provide an opportunity for the Council to follow up on the implementation of the policy recommendations of the General Assembly on the United Nations system’s operational activities for development, particularly General Assembly resolution 62/208. The segment will comprise a series of interactive dialogues on operational activities for development of the United Nations system, including panel discussions on the United Nations system’s support to national efforts in the context of the current economic, food and climate change crises and their effects on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; Strengthening United Nations country team’s coherent support to public health; a dialogue with the Executive Heads of the Funds and Programmes, a dialogue on funding as well as a general debate.

On the afternoon of Friday morning 17 July, in between the Operational and Humanitarian Affairs Segments, ECOSOC will hold an event on the transition from relief to development, entitled "Coordination in the transition phase between emergency relief and sustainable recovery”, during which participants will debate key themes emanating from the Secretary-General’s report on peace-building in the immediate aftermath of conflict.

In the margins of the Segment, on Friday 17 July, there will be also the annual Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) Mid-Year Review.

Humanitarian Affairs Segment (20-22 July)

The three-day Humanitarian Affairs Segment provides an important forum for Member States and Humanitarian Organisations to discuss the challenges, opportunities and activities related to the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian
assistance of the United Nations. The theme of the 2009 Humanitarian Affairs Segment is “Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian assistance: Present challenges and their impact on the future”. It will convene two high-level panel discussions, on “Respecting and implementing guiding principles of humanitarian assistance at the operational level – assisting the affected populations”, on Monday, 20 July; and on “Addressing the impact of current global challenges and trends on the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance”, on Tuesday, 21 July.

General Segment (23 to 30 July)

At the General Segment, to be held from 23 to 30 July, the Council will review the reports of its subsidiary bodies and of other United Nations entities working in the economic and social fields. The subsidiary bodies include the Council’s functional commissions, regional commissions, expert and ad hoc bodies. The Council will also review, inter alia, progress made in the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries as well as the coordinated implementation of the Habitat Agenda. The question of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system will also be discussed.

In addition, the Council will discuss the work of coordination bodies, such as the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination; it will consider the report of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti; and will be briefed by the Peacebuilding Commission about the economic and social aspects of peacebuilding in African countries emerging from conflict.


For use of information media; not an official record

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