ECOSOC United Nations Economic and Social Counci : Deputy Secretary-General Calls Development ‘A Permanent Challenge’, in Remarks to Mark Seventieth Anniversary of Economic and Social Council

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson's remarks at the commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in New York today:

I am honoured to join you today as we mark the seventieth anniversary of the first session of the Economic and Social Council. I congratulate you and ECOSOC on this important observance of the constant pursuit of 'social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom' - in the words of the preamble of the United Nations Charter.

On a personal note, let me tell you that I, as Permanent Representative of Sweden 25 years ago, served as Vice-President of ECOSOC under then President Juan Somavía, present here today. During my ECOSOC term, we outlined the structure of a humanitarian mandate for the United Nations. It was later negotiated into General Assembly resolution 46/182 and what is now OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs], at that time Department of Humanitarian Affairs. So, thank you, ECOSOC, for laying the foundation for the UN's crucial humanitarian work and mission - so sadly and hugely needed in today's troubled world.

I am also glad to see so many prominent former ECOSOC Presidents and friends here with us today. And I am very happy to see former ECOSOC Secretary Rafeeuddin Ahmed, with whom I have worked and cooperated closely in several capacities over the years. On behalf of the Secretary-General, I want to thank all of you for your service and commitment to the UN's economic and social mission.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, ECOSOC was entrusted to advance international economic and social cooperation and development. Here, I would like to say that, for ECOSOC, the Chamber in which we gather today carries important and relevant symbolism. It was designed by the Swedish architect Sven Markelius. To many, the Chamber appears to have a flaw: part of the ceiling is unfinished, as you can see. But, it was intentional. Let us remember that this serves as a reminder that the work of ECOSOC will continue to be necessary here and across the world. Development is work in progress and never finished. Economic and social advancement is a permanent challenge.

Over the past seven decades, United Nations Member States have strengthened the core mission of ECOSOC. Its membership has grown. Its working methods have been reformed. It has played a significant role in reviewing policy, promoting dialogue and integrating the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development. And in recent years, the entire ECOSOC system - including the functional and regional commissions, committees and expert bodies - has been mobilized towards this end.

As we look ahead, the work of ECOSOC has never been more crucial. Today's event follows the historic adoptions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. These agreements reflect our collective commitment to eradicate poverty, achieve sustainable development and leave no one behind.

The breadth and depth of the 2030 Agenda, and the links between the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, require new ways of working together. Here, ECOSOC has a pivotal role to play. The Council will need to make sure that all segments and meetings of the 2016 session, as well as its subsidiary platforms, effectively support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The High-Level Political Forum, meeting under ECOSOC's auspices, should establish and consolidate its role as review platform for the Sustainable Development Goals, linking the global commitments to national action.

ECOSOC has also, through the ECOSOC Dialogue, been entrusted to spearhead intergovernmental deliberations on the longer-term positioning of the United Nations development system. The impact and effectiveness of development activities, undertaken by the United Nations system, can be increased considerably if such activities are implemented in a coordinated, integrated and 'horizontal' way. We must avoid the vertical, the 'silo' approach, in our work.

In the United Nations Secretariat, we are also considering and rethinking how we better align our main functions in support of the new universal, transformative and cross-cutting development agenda. This means, not least, that we must make sure that all intergovernmental processes serviced by the United Nations Secretariat are coordinated in support of follow-up and review of the goals.

Today's commemoration is an important opportunity to honour ECOSOC's past achievements. But, at the same time, it should highlight ECOSOC's vital role across the spectrum of United Nations activities at this crucial time in history. We now, more than ever, have to focus on dealing with root causes of conflicts, poverty and neglect of humanity.

As former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld once said: 'While the Security Council exists primarily for settling conflicts… the Economic and Social Council exists primarily to eliminate the causes of conflicts.'

Let us advance together in that spirit towards a better and stronger United Nations and a life of dignity for all. Thank you.