2020 Session,
5th Meeting* (AM)
ECOSOC/7016

Economic and Social Council Adopts Resolution on Better Coordinating Support to Sahel Region, Fills Positions in Subsidiary Bodies, UN-Women

The Economic and Social Council today adopted a resolution aimed at better coordinating support to Africa’s Sahel region, and held elections to fill vacancies in several of its subsidiary bodies and the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN‑Women).

Introducing the draft resolution “Support to the Sahel Region” (E/2020/L.3), Burkina Faso’s delegate said the text will help align the momentum that has been generated among the region’s countries and organizations with the work being done by the United Nations and its agencies.  The resolution will help these Governments and agencies fight terrorism and foster development and peace.  Development, peace and human rights are linked together and the resolution is a reminder of the region’s severe security, development and humanitarian challenges.  It calls for the need to remember the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals and the need to provide opportunities for young people, and will help make an impact on the lives of the people of the Sahel.

The Republic of Korea’s delegate stressed how the interplay of the region’s many challenges, such as security, development, food insecurity and climate change, has been destabilizing the region.

The speaker from Japan said the resolution sends a clear message to the countries in the region and development partners that there is a need for greater coherence and the United Nations is supporting the region.  The overall trend in security has been very concerning and this resolution supports the United Nations and agencies as they provide better coordinated and effective support.

The resolution was adopted without a vote and has no programme budget implications.

By the text, the organ stressed the importance of national and regional ownership and good governance and commends the growing leadership of the region’s Governments and its regional and subregional organizations, such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and the Group of Five for the Sahel, in addressing the region’s many challenges.

The Council also stressed the need for strengthening collective and integrated engagement across the Sahel region in line with existing frameworks and welcomed the strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and African Union, and calls on the Secretary‑General, relevant organs and bodies of the United Nations, international financial institutions and regional and subregional organizations and relevant actors, such as the Sahel Alliance, to keep assisting the Sahel region countries with better coordinated and effective support.

In other business, the organ elected by acclamation Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States to UN‑Women’s Executive Board for a three‑year term beginning on 1 January 2020, from among the top 10 voluntary core contributing countries.  It also elected Senegal and Turkey for the same three‑year term from among the top 10 voluntary core contributing countries that are not members of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development.

Turning to the Commission on Population and Development, the Council elected Turkey by acclamation for a four‑year term beginning at the first meeting of that body’s fifty‑fourth session in 2020 and expiring at the close of the fifty‑seventh session in 2024.

For the Commission for Social Development, the organ elected Qatar by acclamation for a term effective immediately and expiring at the close of that body’s sixty‑first session in 2023.  It also elected Paraguay and Turkey by acclamation for a four‑year term beginning at the first meeting of that body’s fifty‑ninth session in 2020 through the close of the sixty‑second session in 2024.

Next, the Council elected by acclamation Egypt and Nigeria to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs for a four‑year term beginning on 1 January 2020.

For the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the organ elected Panama by acclamation for a term effective immediately through 31 December 2022.

For the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, the Council elected Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe by acclamation for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2020.

Lastly, the organ elected India and Thailand by acclamation to the Programme Coordination Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) for a three‑year term beginning on 1 January 2020.  With Australia and Finland resigning from their seats, the Council elected by acclamation Canada and Denmark, respectively, to complete the term of office of the outgoing States, beginning on 1 January 2020 and expiring on 31 December 2020.

The Council postponed elections for several remaining seats in these subsidiary bodies, announcing that it will hold a dedicated management meeting on 15 April 2020 to fill those vacancies.

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* The 4th Meeting was covered in Press Release ECOSOC/7015-PBC/133 of 3 December 2019.

For information media. Not an official record.