Sri Lanka elected to United Nations Economic and Social Council

Sri Lanka has been elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the elections held in New York, for a three-year term commencing on 01 January 2025.

Sri Lanka obtained?182?votes,?of?the 189?member states present and voting,?securing the?2^nd?highest vote count from the region,?and the 7^th?highest number overall. Sri Lanka?was previously elected to the ECOSOC from?1985 ? 1989 and?from?2006 ? 2008.

As a member of the?ECOSOC,?Sri Lanka?will?contribute to the Council?s efforts and programmes, which?include?eradication of poverty, food security, financing for development, reform of?the?international financial architecture to?better support vulnerable countries, climate justice, gender equality and women?s empowerment, rights of persons with disabilities, science and technology, and bridging the digital divide.

The 18 countries that were elected on 07 June 2024 to the 54 member states of the ECOSOC, include Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia from the Asia Pacific region.

The election to the ECOSOC?is Sri Lanka?s?4^th?consecutive success?at a multilateral election. This marks a significant milestone for Sri Lanka’s diplomatic engagement led by the Ministry?of Foreign Affairs?and its overseas Diplomatic Missions.

Established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations, the ECOSOC is one of the six?principle?organs of the UN?and serves as the central platform within the UN system to?coordinate the economic and social fields,?advance international cooperation and development?as well as?matters relating to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sri Lanka Missions overseas spearheaded the election campaign. (Colombo Gazette)