Fwd: Letter from the President of ECOSOC and revised ECOSOC meeting schedule

Dear NGO Major Group,

Please find below the latest information from UN DESA regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the substantive sessions and meetings of ECOSOC and the new proposed calendar attached.

Take care!

Victoria

Dear colleagues,

I would like to update you on the response by the ECOSOC Bureau to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and its impact on the substantive session of ECOSOC and meetings of its subsidiary bodies.  Please see attached the letter of the President of ECOSOC to member states outlining the decisions taken by the Bureau with regard to which meetings will be postponed to later in the session and or to the next ECOSOC cycle.

As the situation is evolving rapidly, the President has again written to member states to update them on the decision not to convene physical meetings or informal consultations of the Council for the next two weeks. The meeting of ECOSOC that was expected to take place on Monday will be postponed to a later date.

As you know, a number of Commissions and Expert Bodies have already completed their sessions, namely, the Commission on Social Development (10-19 February); the Commission on Narcotics Drugs (2-6 March); and the Statistical Commission (3-6 March) and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (17 Feb – 6 March). However, a number of meetings were planned to take place beginning at the end of March with the Commission on Population and Development.  For the time being, the decisions remain in place until further notice.

Kind regards,

 

Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development

Department of Economic and Social Affairs