Functions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

10. What are the main functions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)? Explain different functional commissions attached to it.

(150 words)                                                                                  

Ans. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations The ECOSOC has 54

members.

The main functions of the ECOSOC include the following

·              It is responsible for coordinating the economic, social and related work of 15 UN specialised agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions.

·              ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations system.

·    A number of non-governmental organisations have been granted consultative status to the Council to participate in the work of the United Nations.

Functional Commissions of ECOSOC

• Statistical Commission It oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the highest body of the global statistical system.
• Commission on Population and Development It monitors, reviews and assesses the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development at the national, regional and global levels, identifying reasons for success and failure, and advising the Council thereon.
• Commission for Social Development It advises ECOSOC on social policies of a general character and, in particular, on all matters in the social field not covered by the specialised intergovernmental agencies.
• Commission on the Status of Women It is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
• Commission on Narcotic Drugs It assists the ECOSOC in supervising the application of the international drug control treaties.
• Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice It acts as the principal policymaking body of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice.

These functional commissions address the mandate of the ECOSOC in a manner that it will affect the whole world and get reflected in the national policies of the individual countries.