On 23 January 2026, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) marks its 80th Anniversary. For eight decades, it has been a place where countries and communities come together to tackle shared global challenges: from post-war recovery and decolonization to today鈥檚 climate and inequality crises. By connecting governments, experts, civil society, and partners, ECOSOC helps turn global ideas into collective action. and join the .
ECOSOC
The Economic and Social Council () promotes international cooperation on economic, social, environmental, cultural, educational and health issues within the UN system. Established in 1945, it fosters debate and formulates policy recommendations for Member States and the UN system. During today鈥檚 -the first plenary meeting of each ECOSOC cycle- the Council has elected the Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN, , as the new president for its 2025-2026 session.
As the world struggles with a pandemic of historical proportions, immense progress has been made with the launch of the first vaccines against COVID-19. The race to develop and deploy safe and effective vaccines everywhere is a top priority for the international community, especially with new contagious COVID-19 strains. But inequality in access to the vaccine is threatening to deepen further the divide between the poor and the rich countries. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is convening, on 16 April, a special high-level meeting on a vaccine for all.