Kathmandu: President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa of Nepal, on January 23, called for renewed commitment, stronger leadership, and deeper multilateral cooperation to ensure that global development efforts deliver tangible results for people worldwide, as ECOSOC marked its 80th anniversary.
Addressing a high-level commemorative session at the ECOSOC Chamber under the theme “ECOSOC@80: A Turning Point for Multilateralism,” President Thapa, who is also Nepal’s Permanent Representative to United Nations in New York, described the anniversary as both a historic milestone and a moment of reflection on the Council’s future role amid growing global challenges.
Recalling that ECOSOC convened its first meeting on the same date in 1946, President Thapa said the UN Charter’s mandate to promote higher living standards, social progress, human rights, and international cooperation remains as urgent today as it was eight decades ago. “Development is the foundation of peace,” he said, emphasizing that poverty, hunger, inequality, and marginalization continue to threaten global stability.
He stated ECOSOC’s role as the United Nations’ principal platform for addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges, noting that the Council has shaped policies and norms, fostered partnerships, and brought together governments, civil society, youth, academia, and the private sector to pursue inclusive and sustainable solutions.
However, President Thapa warned that despite progress, the world is facing intersecting crises, including rising food insecurity, climate shocks, widening digital divides, social protection gaps, and a mounting global debt burden that limits countries’ ability to invest in development. He added that eroding trust in multilateralism makes the need for a stronger and more effective ECOSOC even more pressing.
“Countries in special situations—Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States—are counting on the United Nations, and particularly the ECOSOC, to deliver better,” he said, calling for enhanced relevance and impact of the Council through leadership, vision, and sustained commitment from Member States.
President Thapa pointed to the UN80 Initiatives and the ongoing General Assembly review of ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum as timely opportunities to reaffirm the Council’s role as the UN’s central development pillar.
In his closing remarks, he reaffirmed his commitment to making ECOSOC more responsive, inclusive, and forward-looking, urging Member States to seize the 80th anniversary as a turning point to rebuild trust, strengthen multilateralism, and advance international cooperation. “Let us shape together a stronger, more resilient, and more effective ECOSOC that can deliver better for all peoples,” he said.
