United Nations – India was elected with a large margin of votes to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Wednesday, June 4, 2025, by the General Assembly. India’s term will begin on January 1, 2026, and will last three years.
The 54-member ECOSOC holds annual elections for a three-year seat from UN Member States. ECOSOC is the UN’s central council which discusses international economic and social issues and makes policy recommendations, coordinating over 1,600 consulting non governmental organizations, fifteen specialized agencies, eight functional commissions and five regional commissions.
Announcing India’s win, India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, reiterated India’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
“India remains committed to championing development issues and keep working to strengthen the ECOSOC,” Jaishankar said in his Twitter message.
Jaishankar also thanked member states which voted for India in a private ballot. “Thank member states for their overwhelming support and reposing their trust in us,” Jaishankar said. Jaishankar also appreciated the efforts of the Permanent Mission of India.
The Asia-Pacific States comprising of India, China, Turkmenistan and Lebanon, are allocated four seats on the ECOSOC and require 125 votes from the 194 General Assembly of member states. India secured 181 votes, one vote more than China which secured 180 votes. Both Turkmenistan and Lebanon secured 183 votes.
India is already a member of important subsidiary bodies of ECOSOC, including the UN Statistical Commission, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
The Statistical Commission is the highest body responsible for setting standards and dealing with international statistical activities.
International drug control is supervised by The Commission on Narcotic Drugs. UNAIDS oversees international HIV/AIDS response.
The ECOSOC election required a two-third majority of votes minus abstentions and invalid ballots. The 2025 elections had 189 Member States of the General Assembly participated in the first round of balloting, and 187 in the runoff.
Membership to ECOSOC is based on equitable geographical representation and is divided into five regions: African States, Asia-Pacific States, Eastern European States, Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and other States.
In the East European States, Ukraine won the seat with 130 votes, while Russia won 108 votes in the first round which required 123 votes, and acquired 115 votes in the run-off.
Replacing Italy and Liechtenstein, United States and Germany also won the seats in a by-election, with terms ending in 2027 and 2026.
Australia, Burundi, Chad, China, Ecuador, Finland, Lebanon, Mozambique, Norway, Peru, Sierra Leone, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Türkiye, and Turkmenistan were among other countries elected to ECOSOC.
ECOSOC is an important UN council and elects the executive board of UNICEF, the UNDP Council, the UNHCR committee and other commissions. ECOSOC also reviews and updates the UN list of least developed countries.
ECOSOC’s regular session is held each year in July for four weeks. It also holds an annual meeting in April with heads of key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. ECOSOC also convenes the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Over and above dealing with economic, social, cultural and health matters, ECOSOC also deals with human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The UN 2021 Review set the ECOSOC’s Charter Mandate. Since then, it directs the three dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals, economic, social and environmental. ECOSOC provides a platform for debate, brainstorming and forging consensus on ways forward. ECOSOC coordinates and convenes policy dialogue, policy-making and consensus towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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