Volume 30 | No.1 | January 2026
ECOSOC at 80: A milestone for global cooperation and sustainable development
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will commemorate its 80th anniversary by holding a special event on 23 January 2026. The event will be an opportunity to celebrate the Council’s many milestone achievements in improving people’s lives around the world. “We need to reflect on the legacy of ECOSOC and reaffirm its central role in shaping a more inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking multilateral system,” says H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa (Nepal), President of ECOSOC.
Established by the Charter of the United Nations in 1945, the United Nations Economic and Social Council held its first meeting on 23 January 1946 in London. As one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, ECOSOC has been at the centre of global progress, advancing the principles of the United Nations Charter and promoting international cooperation on economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related issues.
ECOSOC has brought nations together to advance dignity, equality, solidarity and opportunity. It has championed human rights, promoted gender equality, and guided countries toward shared goals for a better future.
ECOSOC has also provided strategic policy guidance to the UN development system, while fostering, integration and coherence across its broad network of subsidiary and expert bodies.
By the 2000s, ECOSOC emerged as a central platform to review the progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and, since 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), helping to unite the global community behind a common vision of multilateralism and solidarity.
Throughout its history, ECOSOC has served an important platform for reflection, debate and innovative thinking, bringing together diverse actors to address the world’s most pressing sustainable development challenges. The Council’s work is enriched by over 6,500 NGOs in consultative status, and it provides civil society, youth and other stakeholders a platform to contribute to intergovernmental policy making.
Today, the world continues to face poverty, rising inequalities, fast-moving crises and growing pressures on our planet. Yet, ECOSOC remains steadfast in promoting sustainable development, safeguarding people and the planet while ensuring that no one is left behind.
“The role of ECOSOC has never been more relevant and important,” says President Thapa. “ECOSOC’s convening power is indispensable—for restoring trust in multilateralism and driving coherent, collective action in our shared interests.”
Follow the commemoration of ECOSOC at 80 live on UN Web TV to:
Learn more about ECOSOC’s impact and legacy over the past eight decades.
Celebrate ECOSOC as a forum for inclusive engagement
Highlight its crucial role in accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information: ECOSOC at 80: Commemoration Event
Note: APBest is active in Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC.
