United Nations Economic and Social Council

The United Nations principal organ for coordinating economic and social work, reviewing policy, and making recommendations to member states and UN entities.

ECOSOC membership: The Economic and Social Council consists of 54 UN member states elected by the General Assembly for staggered three-year terms. Elected members negotiate and adopt the council’s resolutions and decisions.
United Nations: An intergovernmental organization founded in 1945 to maintain international peace and security and promote cooperation among states. ECOSOC is one of the UN’s six principal organs.
United Nations Conference on International Organization: The 1945 San Francisco conference at which delegates negotiated and signed the UN Charter. The conference established the institutional blueprint that included ECOSOC.
UN Security Council: The United Nations principal organ charged with maintaining international peace and security. Unlike ECOSOC, the Security Council can adopt binding decisions in its area of responsibility.
ECOSOC subsidiary bodies: Commissions, committees, and expert bodies that conduct specialized work under the Economic and Social Council. These bodies develop much of the detailed analysis behind the council’s policy coordination.
UN Charter: The founding treaty that establishes the United Nations, its principal organs, and their powers. Chapters X and XI define ECOSOC’s composition, functions, and authority.
League of Nations: An intergovernmental organization founded after World War I to promote peace and international cooperation. Its economic and social cooperation work offered a precedent for the UN’s broader postwar system.
UN Human Rights Council: A UN intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. It is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, not a principal organ like ECOSOC.
ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum: A UN forum for reviewing progress on sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda. The council convenes the forum’s annual meetings under its auspices.
UN General Assembly: The United Nations principal organ in which all member states are represented and debate international issues. The Assembly elects ECOSOC members and receives its reports.

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