June 09, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has secured a position on the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a three-year term starting on 1st January 2025, following its election by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
During the elections conducted in New York on Friday, 7th June, Sri Lanka garnered 182 votes out of the 189 member states present and voting.
This achievement placed Sri Lanka with the second-highest vote count from its region and the seventh-highest overall, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Previously, Sri Lanka held positions on the ECOSOC from 1985 to 1989 and from 2006 to 2008.
As a member of the ECOSOC, Sri Lanka will actively contribute to the Council’s initiatives and programmes, focusing on a range of issues including poverty eradication, food security, development financing, international financial system reform to support vulnerable nations, climate justice, gender equality, empowerment of women, rights of persons who are differently-abled, advancement of science and technology, and bridging the digital divide.
Among the 18 countries elected on 7th June 2024 to the 54-member ECOSOC, were Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia from the Asia Pacific region.
This successful election to the ECOSOC marks Sri Lanka’s fourth consecutive triumph in multilateral elections, underscoring a significant achievement in the country’s diplomatic endeavours led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its overseas Diplomatic Missions.
Established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations, the ECOSOC stands as one of the UN’s six principal organs, serving as the central platform to coordinate economic and social matters, promote international cooperation and development, and address issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the pivotal role played by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York, in collaboration with the Ministry itself and Sri Lanka’s overseas Missions, in spearheading the election campaign.
