Italy was elected today in New York as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) by a wide margin. Of the four countries of the Western Group in the running—the others were Belgium, US and Canada, which were also elected—Italy received the largest number of votes, at 179.
ECOSOC is the high-level UN body responsible for economic, social, cultural, educational and health-related matters, on which it makes recommendations to the General Assembly and specialised agencies, calls for special international conferences and proposes international conventions. The Council also promotes the respect and observance of human rights and essential freedoms.
Italy’s entrance for the 3-year period from 2010 to 2012 will allow our country to make a specific contribution in global economic and social spheres, and foster our greater role not only on the Council itself but in the overall UN system.