Review of the Implementation of General Assembly Resolution 72/305 on the Strengthening of the Economic and Social Council : Review of the Implementation of General Assembly Resolutions 67/290 on the Format and Organizational Aspects of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and 70/299 on the Follow-Up and Review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the Global Level

A/RES/75/290AView PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 14 Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields and 122 Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit, published in 2021.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

3 entities

(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited
Subprogramme 1	Intergovernmental support and coordination for sustainable development	21
Programme 16	Economic and social development in asia and the pacific	254
Subprogramme 5	2030 Agenda and SDG coordination	6

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

3 entities

(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited	Expenditure
Subprogramme 1	Intergovernmental support and coordination for sustainable development	21	—
Programme 16	Economic and social development in asia and the pacific	254	—
Subprogramme 5	2030 Agenda and SDG coordination	6	—

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

4 reports · 2023–2026

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2026	E/2026/75	Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/75/290A
2025	E/2025/69	Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/75/290A
2023	E/2023/48	Trends and progress in international development cooperation report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/75/290A
2023	E/2025/8	Trends and progress in international development cooperation report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/75/290A

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Coordination Within UN System Economic Development Social Development Sustainable Development

What’s in this document?

11 operative paragraphs

A

Reaffirms the role that the Charter of the United Nations and the General Assembly have vested in the Economic and Social Council;

Recognizes the need to strengthen the work of the Economic and Social Council as a principal organ for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development, and also recognizes the key role of the Council in achieving a balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development;

Reaffirms the commitment to reinforce the deliberative function of the Economic and Social Council, with an emphasis on accountability, knowledge-sharing and mutual learning for better results, so that it best supports the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development⁵ and the integrated and coordinated follow-up to the major United Nations conferences and summits;

⁵Resolution 70/1.

Recognizes that the work of the Economic and Social Council plays an important role in the response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), helping countries to rebuild better, reduce risks and build resilience to future shocks and crises, by focusing on promoting a sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery, in support of the 2030 Agenda;

Notes that the Economic and Social Council is a Charter body of the United Nations and that the high-level political forum on sustainable development is held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly;

Declares that the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development should be closely coordinated, in accordance with their respective roles and mandates, to ensure that their interconnected and interlinked work is coherent and mutually reinforcing in supporting the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda throughout the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development from now to the year 2030;

Adopts the annex to the present resolution on the review of the Economic and Social Council, and calls upon the Council, its subsidiary bodies and other relevant bodies and platforms of the United Nations system to implement the provisions contained therein in an expeditious manner;

Decides that the arrangements contained in the present resolution and its annex shall be reviewed at its seventy-eighth session, in conjunction with the review of the high-level political forum on sustainable development, in order to benefit from lessons learned from the previous cycles of the high-level political forum as well as from relevant processes under the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council related to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda;

Reiterates its decision that the review of the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council at subsequent review cycles shall be in conjunction with the review process of the high-level political forum on sustainable development, while recognizing their distinct roles and mandates;

Recalls its decision contained in resolution 74/298, and decides to agree at its seventy-seventh session on the annual theme of the 2024 session of the Economic and Social Council and the 2024 high-level political forum on sustainable development and the set of Goals to be reviewed by the high-level political forum in 2024, without prejudice to the full review of the Council and the high-level political forum to be conducted in conjunction with each other at the seventy-eighth session;

Decides that all mandates contained in resolution 72/305 and all previous related resolutions on strengthening the Economic and Social Council shall remain in effect unless updated or replaced in the present resolution or subsequent resolutions of the General Assembly and that the mandates contained in the present resolution and its annex should be implemented starting with the 2021–2022 cycle of the Council and its preparations.

Review of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 72/305 on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Council should continue to strengthen its leadership and policy guidance role, and its role as the central mechanism for coordination of the activities of the United Nations development system and its specialized agencies and supervision of its subsidiary bodies while integrating their analysis throughout its segments. It should also address new and emerging issues in the economic, social, environmental and related fields and provide overall support for a balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development.

The Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies should further enhance their contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development⁶ during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development, and to the global response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its impacts, bearing in mind their respective specific functions and mandates. The Council should also promote a coordinated follow-up to and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in its entirety and the outcomes of other major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social, environmental and related fields. To that end, the Council should ensure that the agenda, work programme and discussions in its segments and forums and its subsidiary bodies contribute to their implementation as well as the response to major challenges to the achievement of sustainable development such as the COVID-19 pandemic, while ensuring that subsidiary bodies deliver on their specific mandates and functions.

⁶Resolution 70/1.

The General Assembly shall continue to adopt one common main theme for the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development under its auspices, bearing in mind the provisions of resolution 70/299 of 29 July 2016 and the provisions of paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 of the annex to resolution 72/305 of 23 July 2018. The themes of the segments of the Council shall focus on a particular aspect of the one main theme, bearing in mind their respective functions. The humanitarian affairs segment shall continue to adopt themes based on humanitarian considerations and that are coherent with the main theme of the Council. The subsidiary bodies of the Council shall similarly decide on their own respective themes, aligned with the main theme, while continuing to address issues or a theme necessary to discharge their other functions.

The Economic and Social Council should provide integrated policy guidance on the follow-up to and operationalization of the intergovernmentally negotiated ministerial declaration of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development and of the findings of the high-level political forum, notably its thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews, bearing in mind the unique role of the Council as a Charter body entrusted with the coordination of the United Nations system. To support this work, the Secretary-General should include in his report to the Council on the main theme lessons learned from the thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews following the conclusion of the July high-level political forum, with recommendations for follow-up by countries, various segments and forums of the Council, the United Nations system and relevant stakeholders. The Council will also discuss issues on the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and their implications for the theme of the Council and the high-level political forum and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Council should place a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable, including those in vulnerable situations, to ensure that no one is left behind in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The Economic and Social Council segments and its reports, work programmes and outcomes should give adequate attention to the special challenges facing the most vulnerable countries and, in particular, African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, as well as the specific challenges facing middle-income countries, in pursuing sustainable development. The reports of the Secretary-General should adequately address the diverse needs and specific challenges facing these developing countries, as appropriate.

The Economic and Social Council cycle will continue to run from July to July. To promote linkages in their work and enhance the visibility and impact of the Council, and to encourage focus, coherence and efficiency, the Council segments and forums shall be structured into four groups per Council cycle.

The first group, to be held by early February each year, will comprise the partnership forum and the coordination segment.

The second group will comprise Economic and Social Council forums. It will include, annually, the forum on financing for development follow-up, the multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, the youth forum and other related mandated meetings. The Development Cooperation Forum will continue to be convened every two years before the forum on financing for development follow-up, with the next forum to be convened in 2023.

The third group will comprise segments that address actions by the United Nations development system and other actors to implement the 2030 Agenda, along with distinct humanitarian assistance. It will include the operational activities for development segment, the humanitarian affairs segment and the meeting on the transition from relief to development. These will be organized independently and in a coordinated manner.

The fourth group will comprise segments and forums that provide overall policy guidance and foster progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, contribute to the overall review of the 2030 Agenda at the high-level political forum and look to the future of the advancement of sustainable development. It will include the high-level political forum on sustainable development and the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council.

As mandated in the past, the Economic and Social Council may convene special sessions to address urgent developments in the economic, social, environmental and related fields that may require guidance and coordination by the Council. It should also continue to convene ad hoc meetings on specific humanitarian emergencies at the request of the affected country or following a recommendation of the Bureau. Such ad hoc meetings should raise awareness and promote the engagement of all relevant stakeholders, including the United Nations system, in support of international relief efforts aimed at addressing those emergencies.

The working modalities of the Economic and Social Council should be guided by the principles of inclusiveness, transparency and flexibility based on the deliberative functions of its meetings. It should be a platform for discussion and the exchange of national experiences. The Council should aim at creating synergy and coherence as well as avoiding duplication and overlap in its work to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.

In supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and delivering on its other functions, the Economic and Social Council should work towards the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, as the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. The Council should also strengthen its efforts to mainstream a gender perspective across its agenda, work programme, meetings and documentation.

With a view to ensuring a streamlined consideration of related agenda items and optimal use of available time, the Bureau of the Economic and Social Council is invited to prepare a focused programme of work, including possible joint consideration of related items, that enhances deliberation among Member States. The programme of work and agenda of each segment/forum should be circulated as early as possible. The Bureau of the Council should make efforts to ensure that meetings and informal consultations are planned during United Nations working hours to better facilitate the active and constructive participation of all permanent missions in the work of the United Nations.

The partnership forum of the Economic and Social Council will be convened for one day by early February, back-to-back with the coordination segment. The partnership forum will engage countries, the United Nations system, including international financial institutions, as well as international organizations, parliamentarians, local governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, civil society, scientists, academia, women, youth and other stakeholders. The partnership forum will be organized in consultation with stakeholders and allow interactive discussions among all stakeholders on the main theme of the Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development. The partnership forum will be focused on the exchange of new ideas, expectations and priorities for the work ahead for the Council cycle and the high-level political forum held under the auspices of the Council. The partnership forum will also discuss forward-looking actions by countries and all relevant stakeholders as well as innovative partnerships that can mobilize commitments and actions to advance the 2030 Agenda.

The way that the Economic and Social Council delivers on its coordination function should be strengthened so as to help to ensure that the United Nations system and subsidiary bodies of the Council contribute fully to the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development and the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, the coordination segment shall replace the integration segment and the informal meeting of the Council with the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies and will be held annually for up to two days by early February, before the first session of a subsidiary body of the Council. Through this segment, the Council will take up coordination matters arising from subsidiary bodies, principal organs and specialized agencies in the economic, social, environmental and related fields. It will steer the Council system towards an efficient and integrated workflow throughout the Council cycle leading up to the high-level political forum on sustainable development. It will provide forward-looking policy guidance to ensure coherence and direction in the policies and normative work of subsidiary bodies and specialized agencies relating to the 2030 Agenda as well as to other aspects of the work of the Council.

The coordination segment will formulate common action-oriented policy guidance on all matters requiring implementation or coordination efforts (i) by the Economic and Social Council functional and regional commissions and other subsidiary bodies as well as (ii) by the United Nations system, notably the specialized agencies, in the policy and normative area, including detailed guidance on the implementation of the intergovernmentally negotiated ministerial declaration of the previous year. In coordinating the policy and normative work of the specialized agencies and other United Nations system entities as envisioned by Article 63 of the Charter, the Council will avoid overlap with the operational activities for development segment, which provides guidance on operational activities of the United Nations development system.

The coordination segment will examine key policy issues, lessons learned, best practices and recommendations emanating from the work of the Economic and Social Council subsidiary bodies, including regional commissions, during the previous cycle. It will allow the Council to address issues identified by subsidiary bodies as requiring the attention of the Council at the global level and to build on the policy conclusions of its subsidiary bodies, along with inputs of the United Nations system, so as to promote the balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development. It will also provide guidance and coordination to subsidiary bodies, ensuring a clearer division of labour among them, aligning their work with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and promoting their implementation of the intergovernmentally negotiated ministerial declaration of the previous year, bearing in mind the respective mandates and functions of those bodies. The coordination segment will furthermore provide detailed guidance to the subsidiary bodies of the Council and the United Nations system on their upcoming work on the main theme and develop action-oriented assessment and recommendations so that those bodies best contribute to the preparations for the thematic review of the high-level political forum on sustainable development. It will review how subsidiary bodies and the United Nations system work on the interlinkages among the Sustainable Development Goals and the integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda, guiding their work for the rest of the Council cycle.

During the coordination segment, the Economic and Social Council may also hold discussions on existing coordination-related mandated agenda items that have been thus far considered during the management segment.

An informal note will be prepared by the Secretariat to inform the discussions at the coordination segment. This note should include (i) integrated policy analysis emanating from the work of the subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council during the previous cycle and proposed guidance for their contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development; (ii) coordination issues emanating from the work of subsidiary bodies and the policy and normative activities of specialized agencies and other United Nations system entities and recommendations for addressing them; and (iii) proposals related to the implementation of the intergovernmentally negotiated ministerial declaration of the Council of the previous cycle and lessons learned from the thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews at the high-level political forum on sustainable development, with recommendations for follow-up by countries, various segments and forums of the Council, the United Nations system and relevant stakeholders.

Heads of United Nations system entities, Chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council and Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions will be invited to participate. Non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Council should – and the private sector and other stakeholders involved in the policy and normative work of the United Nations system and the subsidiary bodies may – be engaged in the coordination segment, while retaining the intergovernmental nature of the Council.

A non-negotiated factual summary will be prepared by the President of the Economic and Social Council in consultation with the Bureau of the Council to reflect discussions during the partnership forum and the coordination segment and the strategic proposals made during the coordination segment.

The high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council will continue to discharge the functions provided for in General Assembly resolutions 70/299 and 72/305.

The operational activities for development segment of the Economic and Social Council will continue to discharge the functions provided for in General Assembly resolutions 71/243 of 21 December 2016, 72/279 of 31 May 2018, 72/305, and 75/233 of 21 December 2020, as well as Council resolutions 2019/15 of 8 July 2019 and 2020/23 of 22 July 2020.

The one-day meeting on the transition from relief to development will be convened immediately preceding the humanitarian affairs segment and will replace the special event to discuss the transition from relief to development and alternate between Geneva and New York. The meeting will address the linkages between humanitarian assistance and development assistance. It may also discuss, among other relevant issues, promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development and providing access to justice for all in accordance with the respective mandates of the Economic and Social Council and other intergovernmental bodies. It will aim to build resilience and preparedness and improve the efforts of the international community to respond better to the transition from relief to development, as well as to deliver better results for improving the situation of countries on the ground through enhanced cooperation, collaboration and coordination, with the ultimate goal of resuming long-term sustainable development. The meeting will focus on countries in situations of conflict, post-conflict countries and countries facing humanitarian emergencies. The meeting will also consider the existing agenda items of the Council on issues related to the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, South Sudan, the Sahel region and any country-specific item under the sub-item on African countries emerging from conflict for in-depth discussion to guide coordinated support at the country level. In accordance with the rules of procedure and previous practice of the special event on the transition from relief to development, participation by all relevant stakeholders, including organizations of the United Nations system, international financial and trade institutions, regional organizations, civil society and private sector representatives in the meeting will be possible. Full participation of all relevant stakeholders, in particular the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Chair and countries members of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, should be ensured, inter alia, through the use of videoconferencing. This meeting will continue to be organized in the context of the humanitarian affairs segment and the operational activities for development segment, without prejudice to the respective mandates of those segments.

The humanitarian affairs segment of the Economic and Social Council will continue to discharge the functions provided for in General Assembly resolutions 52/12 B of 19 December 1997, 61/16 of 20 November 2006, 68/1 of 20 September 2013, and 72/305.

The management segment of the Economic and Social Council will continue to discharge the functions provided for in General Assembly resolution 72/305.

During the management segment in June, the Economic and Social Council will hold a discussion to integrate the key messages from the subsidiary bodies of the Council and the United Nations system on the main theme, develop action-oriented recommendations for follow-up and feed into the high-level political forum on sustainable development. This will be informed by the existing report of the Secretary-General synthesizing the inputs of the functional commissions of the Council and other intergovernmental bodies and forums to the thematic review of the high-level political forum.

The Secretary-General’s annual overview report of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination will be presented by the Secretariat at the management segment of the Economic and Social Council.

As envisioned in Article 65 of the Charter, the Economic and Social Council may furnish information to the Security Council and assist the Security Council upon its request.

The Economic and Social Council should strengthen its cooperation and dialogue with the Peacebuilding Commission, in accordance with their respective mandates. The President of the Council and the Chair of the Commission are encouraged to explore ways to improve the annual joint meetings of the two bodies and reinforce their impact on the situation at the country level. To ensure the flow of information and the complementarity of the work of the Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, the Bureau of the Council may work with a designated member of the Commission on an ongoing basis.

The Economic and Social Council should continue to strengthen its oversight, guidance and coordination role of its subsidiary bodies as outlined in paragraphs 28 and 29 of the annex to General Assembly resolution 72/305.

The President and Bureau of the Economic and Social Council are invited to work with the bureaux of its subsidiary bodies and in consultation with delegations during the 2022 session of the Council, so as to identify possible actions to be taken to implement the provisions of paragraphs 28 and 29 of the annex to General Assembly resolution 72/305.

The engagement of civil society and relevant stakeholders in the Economic and Social Council should continue to be arranged in accordance with paragraphs 19, 20 and 21 of the annex to General Assembly resolution 72/305.

While retaining its intergovernmental nature, the Economic and Social Council should seek to promote the active participation of international and regional organizations, members of parliaments, academia, scientists, non-governmental organizations, local governments, the private sector, women, youth and major groups and other stakeholders, in activities of the Council and its functional and regional commissions and other subsidiary bodies, in accordance with the provisions of their respective rules of procedure and the provisions of General Assembly resolutions 67/290 and 72/305.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

A

Table of contents

Who cites this mandate in the budget?