Estonia Focuses on Protection of Human Right in UN Economic and Social Council
30.06.2010
Nr 223 - E
The high-level session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that began is New York is focused on human rights, including the protection of the rights of women. Estonia is also a member of the council.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Estonia, which has been a first-time member of ECOSOC since 2009, focuses its work in the council on the development of gender equality and humanitarian aid. “Estonia has set the goal of becoming a member of the UN Human Rights Council in 2012, but we have already been working actively on human rights issues for quite some time. For example, in addition to working in the Economic and Social Council, the Estonian representation at the UN is also active in the Commission on the Status of Women,” said Paet. Paet added that membership in the UN Economic and Social Council increases Estonia’s visibility in the world and helps to intensify our ties with developing countries.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the UN’s primary body dealing with economic and social issues that promotes the protection of economic development and human rights, discusses global economic, social and environmental problems, supports international co-operation in these areas, and co-ordinates the activities of UN specialised agencies, programmes and funds, including in the development co-operation sector. ECOSOC is the “parent organ” to many sub-commissions, including the Commission for Social Development (CSD), the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), and the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).
The ECOSOC contains 54 nations that are chosen for three years by consensus at the UN General Assembly. Estonia has been an ECOSOC member since 1 January 2009 and membership lasts three years until 31 December 2011. In 2009 Estonia was chosen as the vice president of ECOSOC. The duties of vice president were fulfilled by Estonian Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Tiina Intelmann.
Additional information on the UN Economic and Social Council can be found here: http://www.un.org/ecosoc
