In the month of April, the ECOSOC's annual Youth Forum took place under the theme "COVID-19 recovery: Youth taking action for a sustainable future". In addition, the Forum on Financing for Development,the STI Forum, theCommittee of Experts on Public Administration, the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, the Commission on Population and Development and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues alsoheld their respective sessions. These meetings provided ideas and solutions to inspire and guide the work of the Council towards COVID-19 recovery and the Sustainable Development Goals.
ECOSOC Events in April 2022
ECOSOC Youth Forum 2022
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum took place on 19 and 20 April 2022 in a virtual format. The Forum provided a platform for young people to engage in a dialogue with Member States and other actors on concrete actions to rebuild from COVID-19 and to advance towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Decade of Action. Among the speakers were ECOSOC President, H.E. Collen V. Kelapile, President of the General Assembly, H.E. Abdulla Shahid, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, and the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake. On April 18 and 21, over 50 side events were organized by various partners and UN entities. (Details; UN News Articles 19 and 20 April, Statement of President of ECOSOC)
ECOSOC Special Meeting on International Cooperation in Tax Matters
The ECOSOC Special Meeting on International Cooperation in Tax Matters was held on 8 April 2022 in conjunction with the 24th Session of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters. The Special Meeting provided a platform for the Member States (including representatives from finance and national tax administrations) to engage with the UN Tax Committee experts, other experts, and representatives from civil society, the private sector, and international and regional organizations, thereby facilitating the exchange of ideas and advances intergovernmental consideration of tax matters. This year’s Special Meeting was presented critical topics in the current international tax landscape, which was analyzed and debated in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and beyond. (Details)
ECOSOC Special Meeting on "Sustainable Urbanization and the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda"
The ECOSOC Special Meeting on 21 April 2022 provided a platform for Member States to review select aspects of the New Urban Agenda based on the findings of the 2022 Quadrennial Report of the Secretary-General on the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Cities have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has deepened existing inequalities, create new vulnerabilities, and reversed progress towards the attainment of many of the Sustainable Development Goals. The outcome was conveyed through an opening statement of the President of ECOSOC at the opening of the high-level meeting. (Statement of the President of ECOSOC at the Special Meeting on 21 April; UN News Article and Details)
2022 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development
The ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development-FfD (25 - 28 April) discussed policies and strategies to expand investments in health and social protection, boost private investment, enhance concessional finance, resolve increasing debt distress, strengthen domestic resource mobilization, combat illicit financial flows and address climate change and the digital divide. High-level participants agreed that without greater fiscal space for critical expenditure and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) investment, developing countries cannot have an inclusive and sustainable recovery. Concurrent with the FfD Forum, the 2022 SDG Investment Fair (26 - 28 April) attracted investors, private and public institutions, and representatives from UN agencies to view and discuss investment projects that advance the SDGs. (Details FfD Forum; Statement of the President of ECOSOC; SDG Investment Fair; UN Report "2022 Financing for Sustainable Development Report: Bridging the Finance Divide"; Outcome Document-FfD Forum; and UN News Article).
21st Session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration
The Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) held its twenty-first session at UN Headquarters in New York from 4 to 8 April 2022 in a hybrid format under the theme “Transforming institutions and governance to build forward better towards 2030”. A key message of the Committee was that to build forward from the COVID-19 pandemic and advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, governments should strengthen their public institutions and their social, physical, and technological infrastructure, while making their economies more resilient and agile to be better prepared to manage potential future economic, social, and environmental shocks. (Details and Statement of the President of ECOSOC)
24th Session of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters
The UN Tax Committee held its 24th Session on 4 to 7 April and 11 to 12 April. The session was taken forward the work plan adopted in October 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic and calls for “building back better” helped inspire the Committee when developing its work programme from a sustainable development lens. The Committee established work streams and subcommittees in five new areas: wealth taxes; increasing tax transparency; relationship of tax, trade and investment agreements; indirect taxation; and health taxes. This is in line with the Committee’s mandate to strengthen international cooperation in tax policy and administration in both domestic and international tax matters.(Details)
55th Session of the Commission on Population and Development
The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) held its fifty-fifth session from April 25 to 29 in New York under the overall theme of "Population and sustainable development, in particular sustained and inclusive economic growth". The Commission discussed how to build inclusive and sustainable societies in the wake of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account long-term demographic, economic and climate forecasts. In particular, the Commission addressed how both youthful and older populations can contribute to economic growth, as well as the impact of human activity on the environment and climate change. (Details)
21st Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The 21st session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is taking place from April 25 to May 6 in New York under the overall theme of "Indigenous peoples, business, autonomy and the human rights principles of due diligence, including free, prior and informed consent". The discussions are being held in a hybrid format, with the opening and closing of the session that will be fully in person. (Details; UN News Article and Statement of the President of ECOSOC)
Second Global Webinar for 2022 VNR Countries
The United Nations and the Government of Botswana hosted the second global workshop on April 11 to 13 in Gaborone to support the 45 countries conducting voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of SDG implementation at the 2022 HLPF. The workshop focused on peer-to-peer learning and exchange of experiences on the preparations for the VNRs, their presentation as well as emerging findings. It also provided an opportunity to share good practices, lessons learned, and issues faced by the VNR countries in the preparations of the reports and presentation at the HLPF. (Statement of the President of ECOSOC)
Other UN Events in April 2022
High-level Meeting on Peacebuilding Financing
At the High-level Meeting on Financing for Peacebuilding, held on 27 April, Member States discussed possible solutions to address the identified financing gap for prevention and peacebuilding in the context of fast-changing, protracted and complex violent conflicts. ECOSOC President Collen Vixen Kelapile spoke at the Opening of the Meeting and committed that the Council will "[...] break down silos between the main Organs and promote integrated approaches to peacebuilding -- including its financing -- with each intergovernmental body contributing based on their mandates and expertise." (Details; UN News Article and Statement of the President of ECOSOC)
Upcoming ECOSOC Events in May 2022
STI Forum
7th Annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) (5-6 May) will be held under the theme “Science, technology and innovation for building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The STI Forum will be an opportunity for governments and multiple stakeholders to exchange new ideas, recommendations and priorities for the upcoming work of ECOSOC and the HLPF with a focus on the role and contributions of science, technology and innovation. (Details)
17th Session of the UN Forum on Forests
The 17th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF17) will be held from 9 to 13 May in hybrid format. The thematic priorities are the following: (i) Reversing the loss of forest cover; (ii) Enhancing forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits; (iii) Mobilizing financial resources and strengthening scientific and technical cooperation; (iv) promoting governance frameworks to advance implementation; and (v) enhancing cooperation, coordination and coherence, for sustainable forest management. (Details)
31st Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) will hold its 31st Session in Vienna on May 16 to 20. The Commission acts as the principal policymaking body of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. The CCPCJ offers Member States a forum for exchanging expertise, experience and information in order to develop national and international strategies, and to identify priorities for combating crime. (Details and Registration)
Operational Activities for Development Segment
The 2022 Operational Activities for Development Segment (OAS) (17-19 May) will focus on the “UN development system’s support to building back better from COVID-19 and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”. The OAS serves as a key platform for Member States and other stakeholders to review progress in the implementation of mandates contained in the quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR). It also oversees the implementation of General Assembly resolution 72/279 on the repositioning of the United Nations development system. (Details)
Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
Due to continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the 2022 regular session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which was scheduled for February will now take place on May 17 to 26. The Committee will meet again on 7 June 2022 to adopt its report of the session. The session is expected to consider 266 new applications for status by NGOs as well as 320 applications deferred from earlier sessions. The Committee will also review 610 quadrennial reports of NGOs in general or special consultative status, as well as 80 quadrennial reports from 64 organizations, deferred from earlier sessions. The session's recommendations will be sent to the Economic and Social Council for its approval during the Management Segment to be held on 21 to 22 July 2022. The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is a standing body of the ECOSOC, established by the Council in 1946. (Details)
62nd session of the Committee for Programme and Coordination
The Committee for Programme and Coordination, a standing body of ECOSOC, examines the totality of the Secretary-General's work programme giving particular attention to programme changes arising out of decisions adopted by intergovernmental organs and conferences or suggested by the Secretary-General. The 62nd Session of the Committee will be held from 31 May to 1 July 2022 in New York. (Details)
SDG Actions
Learn from the Pandemic to Strentghen Workplace Safety: UN labour agency
Each year, nearly three million workers die due to occupational accidents and diseases, and hundreds of millions more suffer non-fatal injuries at work, the UN agency reported. Learning from the pandemic might help prevent millions of deaths, according to the report, which was issued on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Guy Ryder, the ILO Director-General, said occupational safety and health (OSH) remains at the forefront of national response even as countries continue to grapple with the impact of COVID-19, and uneven recovery. (Read more...)
Spotlight
"The external shocks that arise, whether it is COVID-19 or the conflict in Ukraine, we are all affected. Therefore, it is important that we act as a global community to address these challenges," ECOSOC President Collen Vixen Kelapiletold reporters at the Noon Briefing of the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General on 25 April.
"We are facing a real storm that threatens our global economy, especially developing countries", he said, adding that during the "High-level Political Forum in July, it will be a critical moment for us, to not only assess the impact of COVID-19, but also to see how countries are doing in terms of implementing the 2030 Agenda".
