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EU Presidency Statement - United Nations Economic and Social Council: Elections of the new ECOSOC bureau

Summary: 15 January 2009, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union by H.E. Mr. Martin Palouš, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations, at the United Nations ECOSOC (Elections of the new ECOSOC Bureau)

Madam President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union.

Let me start with congratulating to you, Ambassador Lucas of Luxembourg and the new Bureau members, Ambassador Hamidon Ali of Malaysia, Ambassador Tiina Intelmann of Estonia, Ambassador Somduth Soborun of Mauritius and Ambassador Carmen María Gallardo Hernández of El Salvador.

The ECOSOC has taken some significant steps in the past year. I would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to the previous Bureau for the job well done. The Bureau, under the able leadership of Ambassador Léo Mérorés of Haiti as the President and Ambassadors Andrei Dapkiunas of Belarus, Antonio Pedro Monteiro Lima of Cape Verde, Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg and her predecessor, Jean-Marc Hoscheit, who exerted the functions of Vice-President of ECOSOC during a substantial part of last year's session, and Park In-Kook of Korea as Vice-Presidents of this important body, had used their term to successfully implement the new functions of the ECOSOC. Last year, we have witnessed the first Development Cooperation Forum and we certainly have appreciated the timely organization of the special meeting on food crisis.

The EU fully supports and recognizes the need to further pursue the reform of the main UN bodies, including the ECOSOC, in order to improve representativeness, transparency and effectiveness of the system.

At the beginning of the new year, it is an appropriate time not only to wish everyone a Happy New Year and to thank the outgoing Bureau of the Council for their extraordinary performance and their contribution to the strengthening of ECOSOC as one of the key elements of the UN system, but also an apt opportunity to wish luck and much success to the incoming Bureau.

Let me conclude by reaffirming the EU's commitment to the important work of the ECOSOC.

Thank you for your attention.

  • Ref: PRES09-004EN
  • EU source: EU Presidency
  • UN forum: ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council), (including functional Commissions)
  • Date: 15/1/2009


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European Union Member States