ECONOMIC  AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Economic and Social Council 

• Responsible for co-operation between states as regards economic and social matters;

• Co-ordinates co-operation between the UN's numerous specialized agencies;

• Has 54 members, elected by the General Assembly to serve staggered three-year mandates.

• The Economic and Social Council (or the ECOSOC) assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social co-operation and development. 

• It was established to serve as the UN's primary forum for global issues and is the largest and most complex UN body. The ECOSOC's functions include gathering data, conducting studies and advising and making recommendations to member states. 

• Its work is carried out primarily by subsidiary bodies focused on a wide variety of topics. 

• These include the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which advises UN agencies on issues relating to indigenous peoples, the United Nations Forum on Forests, which coordinates and promotes sustainable forest management, the United Nations Statistical Commission, which co-ordinates information-gathering efforts between agencies, and the Commission on Sustainable Development, which co-ordinates efforts between UN agencies and NGOs working towards sustainable development. 

• ECOSOC may also grant consultative status to non-governmental organizations. As of April 2021 almost 5,600 organizations have this status.