The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and the central UN platform for coordination, policy review, dialogue and recommendations on economic, social, environmental and related issues.

How many members does ECOSOC have?

ECOSOC has 54 Member States elected by the United Nations General Assembly.

How long is an ECOSOC member's term?

Members are elected for overlapping three-year terms. Eighteen members are elected each year, and retiring members may be immediately re-elected.

How are ECOSOC seats distributed geographically?

The 54 seats are allocated as 14 for African States, 11 for Asia-Pacific States, 6 for Eastern European States, 10 for Latin American and Caribbean States, and 13 for Western European and other States.

What are ECOSOC's main powers under the UN Charter?

Under Articles 62 to 66 of the UN Charter, ECOSOC may initiate studies and reports, make recommendations, prepare draft conventions, call international conferences, coordinate specialized agencies, obtain reports and assist the Security Council on request.

Who is the ECOSOC President as of September 2026?

Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations, was elected President for ECOSOC's 2027 session at the organizational meeting held on 23 July 2026.

What are ECOSOC functional commissions?

They are intergovernmental subsidiary bodies dealing with major subject areas such as statistics, social development, population and development, the status of women, narcotic drugs, crime prevention, science and technology for development, and forests.

How many UN regional commissions are linked to ECOSOC?

There are five regional commissions: ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP and ESCWA.

What is the High-level Political Forum under ECOSOC?

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, when convened under ECOSOC auspices, reviews implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and includes voluntary national reviews by countries.

Does ECOSOC supervise specialized agencies directly?

ECOSOC coordinates the activities of specialized agencies through agreements, consultation and recommendations under the UN Charter, but specialized agencies retain their own constitutions and governing bodies.

Can NGOs participate in ECOSOC work?

Yes. Article 71 of the UN Charter allows ECOSOC to make arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations, and NGOs may obtain consultative status under the applicable ECOSOC framework.

When was ECOSOC established?

ECOSOC was established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations as one of the six principal organs of the UN.

Updated: 1 September 2026

United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): Members, Functions, Commissions and Agencies

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. It is the UN's central platform for coordination, policy dialogue, policy review and recommendations on economic, social, environmental and related issues, and it plays a major role in follow-up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Current position: ECOSOC has 54 Member States, with 18 elected each year by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. On 23 July 2026, Amar Bendjama of Algeria was elected President for the Council's 2027 session.

Established1945 by the UN Charter

Members54

Term3 years

Elected each year18 members

Current session PresidentAmar Bendjama, Algeria

Headquarters meetingsPrimarily UN Headquarters, New York

Charter basis Functions Membership Subsidiary bodies Specialized agencies HLPF NGOs

ECOSOC under the United Nations Charter

Chapter X of the United Nations Charter establishes ECOSOC. Article 61 fixes its membership at 54 and provides for election by the General Assembly. Articles 62 to 66 set out its principal functions and powers, including studies and reports, recommendations, draft conventions, international conferences, coordination of specialized agencies, reporting arrangements and assistance to the Security Council on request.

ECOSOC is therefore not merely an advisory forum. It has a defined Charter mandate to coordinate major parts of the UN system in economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related fields.

Main functions and powers of ECOSOC

Studies and reports

May make or initiate studies and reports on international economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related matters.

Recommendations

May make recommendations to the General Assembly, UN Member States and specialized agencies, including recommendations promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Draft conventions and conferences

May prepare draft conventions for submission to the General Assembly and may call international conferences on matters within its competence.

Specialized-agency coordination

May enter into relationship agreements with specialized agencies, subject to General Assembly approval, and coordinate their activities through consultation and recommendations.

Monitoring and reporting

May obtain regular reports from specialized agencies and arrangements for reporting on implementation of recommendations falling within its competence.

System-wide sustainable development

Provides an integrated forum for economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and coordinates follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

Membership, voting and regional distribution

ECOSOC consists of 54 United Nations Member States. The General Assembly elects 18 members every year for three-year terms. A retiring member is eligible for immediate re-election. Each Council member has one representative.

Seats are allocated geographically as follows:

Regional group	Seats
African States	14
Asia-Pacific States	11
Eastern European States	6
Latin American and Caribbean States	10
Western European and other States	13

Under Article 67 of the Charter, each ECOSOC member has one vote and decisions are made by a majority of members present and voting.

Presidency: the Bureau is elected by the Council in July. At the organizational meeting on 23 July 2026, Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations, was elected President for the 2027 session.

ECOSOC subsidiary and related bodies

ECOSOC oversees a broad system of functional commissions, regional commissions, expert bodies, standing committees and related bodies. These bodies develop specialist policy, normative frameworks, statistics, recommendations and intergovernmental outcomes in their respective areas.

Functional commissions and forums

Statistical Commission
Commission for Social Development
Commission on Population and Development
Commission on the Status of Women
Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Commission on Science and Technology for Development
United Nations Forum on Forests

Five regional commissions

Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

Selected expert bodies

Committee for Development Policy
Committee of Experts on Public Administration
Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management
United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names
Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals

Specialized agencies coordinated through the ECOSOC system

The earlier description that ECOSOC itself "formed" all these agencies is inaccurate. Under the UN Charter, specialized agencies are autonomous international organizations brought into relationship with the United Nations through agreements. ECOSOC coordinates their activities but does not function as their parent governing body.

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization
ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization
IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development
ILO - International Labour Organization
IMF - International Monetary Fund
IMO - International Maritime Organization
ITU - International Telecommunication Union
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UN Tourism - World Tourism Organization
UPU - Universal Postal Union
WHO - World Health Organization
WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO - World Meteorological Organization
World Bank Group institutions

Funds and programmes in the wider ECOSOC system

ECOSOC also coordinates with United Nations funds and programmes such as UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNICEF and the World Food Programme. These are not the same legal category as specialized agencies.

ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), when convened under the auspices of ECOSOC, is the central UN platform for reviewing the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. It conducts thematic reviews and receives Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) from Member States.

ECOSOC's annual cycle also includes segments and forums on financing for development, operational activities for development, humanitarian affairs, management, coordination, youth, science and technology, partnerships and other cross-cutting development priorities.

ECOSOC consultative status for NGOs

Article 71 of the UN Charter authorizes ECOSOC to make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations concerned with matters within its competence. The modern consultative-status system enables eligible NGOs to participate in parts of the work of ECOSOC and its subsidiary machinery under applicable rules.

Official ECOSOC and UN sources

For authoritative current information refer to ECOSOC at a Glance, ECOSOC Members, Subsidiary Bodies, ECOSOC Bureau and United Nations Charter.

Note: membership, Bureau composition, subsidiary-body membership and annual themes change over time. This page reflects official information available as of 1 September 2026.