WFN and ECOSOC

About ECOSOC

The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs¹ of the United Nations. ECOSOC, under the overall authority of the General Assembly, is at the heart of the UN system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. ECOSOC coordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and the UN family of organizations.  As the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations, the Council plays a key role in fostering international cooperation for development. 

ECOSOC is the only main entry point into the UN system for NGOs with a formal framework for NGO participation. 

As the umbrella for the UN's functional and regional commissions, and operational and specialized agencies, ECOSOC brings together all the different people and partners involved in achieving sustainable development, while fueling broader awareness and action through sharing its own extensive knowledge and issue expertise. Consultative status enables WFN to participate in the regular sessions of ECOSOC, its functional commissions and its other subsidiary bodies.  

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In 2015, ECOSOC issued the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call for action by all countries—developed and developing—in a global partnership to end poverty and other deprivations and improve health and education among other goals. 

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ⧉ , the UN are committed to working with NGOs such as WFN who will play an important role as partners on the ground, helping the international community deliver this ground-breaking agenda. WFN will use its special status within ECOSOC to strengthen and be a voice for global neurology.

1. The United Nations (UN) has six main organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice.

Inside the ECOSOC Chamber Source: www.un.org ⧉

Professors Alla Guekht and Wolfgang Grisold attended the ECOSOC meeting in New York, January 30-31 2023, on behalf of the WFN as a non-state actor.