Vol. 564 No. 5
158 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has considered using Ireland's possible representative position at the summit of the G8 leaders which will occur during Ireland's Presidency to promote the development of the United Nations Permanent Economic and Social Council as a mechanism for monitoring global economic and social development. [6293/03]
Under the UN Charter, the Economic and Social Council, known as ECOSOC, is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, full employment and economic and social progress; identifying solutions to international economic, social and health problems; facilitating international cultural and educational co-operation; and encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
ECOSOC has taken a lead role in key policy areas in recent years. For example, at recent annual sessions, Ministers have proposed specific actions to address the digital divide which are currently being acted upon by the international community and the UN system. In 2002 ECOSOC gave the first formal international endorsement of the new partnership for Africa's development – NEPAD. At this year's annual ECOSOC meeting, Ministers will consider how to promote an integrated approach to rural development for poverty eradication and sustainable development.
There have been several reforms in recent years, including by the UN Secretary General, which have resulted in the streamlining of ECOSOC's working methods and made its work programme more relevant. These have included efforts to bring the council closer to the Bretton Woods institutions. ECOSOC has since 1998 held a high level meeting each April with the finance ministers who chair key committees at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and with the chair of the General Council of the WTO. Any more fundamental changes leading to a substantial alteration of the Council's mandate would require amendments to the relevant provisions of the UN Charter.
Ireland has been elected by the General Assembly to take up a three-year term on the 54 member Council from 2003 to 2005. We will use our membership to continue to support the efficient and effective functioning of ECOSOC in accordance with its mandate under the UN Charter. The issue of ECOSOC's transformation into a permanent economic and security council has been discussed from time to time at the UN, most recently in the debate at the international conference on financing for development in April 2002. There has, to date, been no consensus on the proposal.
Ireland believes the UN General Assembly, to which ECOSOC reports, which includes all member States of the UN, is the appropriate forum for high level debate on the issues which fall within ECOSOC's remit. We are not convinced that the proposal to establish a Permanent Economic and Social Council is either politically achievable or necessary. Such a body would, in our view, conflict with the present role of the General Assembly and would not necessarily be in the interests of all UN member states, particularly small member states.
