24 January 2026 20:12 UTC · UN Secretary-General · UN SG Press Release · Source · Email X Link

UN Secretary-General António Guterres says ECOSOC must be strengthened

Key points

Implement Pact for the Future reforms
Strengthen ECOSOC and reform international financial architecture

TL;DR

UN Secretary-General António Guterres marks ECOSOC's 80th anniversary in New York.
He says ECOSOC catalysed development efforts, helped birth the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, advanced gender equality, and coordinated decolonization.
He warns of interconnected crises—conflict and rising military spending, growing inequalities and collapsing development funding, climate risks, and technology threats—and says these require collective responses.
He urges Member States to implement Pact for the Future reforms, strengthen ECOSOC's coordination role, reform the international financial architecture, and accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Original text

Secretary-General Statements and Messages Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the commemoration of the eightieth anniversary of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) “ECOSOC80: A Turning Point for Multilateralism”, in New York today: I am honoured to join you to mark this important milestone. Eighty years ago today, the Economic and Social Council met for the first time. Its mandate was ambitious, and has only gotten harder: to promote shared solutions to the world’s most pressing economic, social and environmental challenges. Yet, for eight full decades, ECOSOC has been an engine of progress: by catalysing global efforts to advance development, including the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; by helping give birth to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and championing its fulfilment; by calling for gender equality and promoting the rights and empowerment of women and girls; and by coordinating critical aspects of decolonization. Along the way, the Council has stayed true to its founding principles: fostering inclusive dialogue, forging commitments, promoting coordinated action and mobilizing financing. It has adapted to a changing world — with more inclusive membership, a strengthened mandate and reforms of the UN development system. And it has excelled at engaging with other stakeholders, including the private sector, academia, local and regional governments, and civil society. Nearly 6,500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are now accredited with ECOSOC, enabling meaningful participation and influence in UN deliberations to help ensure no one is left behind. Despite signs of real progress, our world is in a precarious state. Conflicts rage, as military spending goes through the roof. Inequalities grow, while development funding is in free fall. Temperatures climb, but we’re slow to scale up solutions. Technology barrels ahead, threatening to leave humanity behind. Rights are violated, yet impunity reigns. These intertwined crises cannot be solved with unilateral approaches or raw power. They demand urgent, collective responses. And ECOSOC can help lead the way. Its mandate focuses on root causes. Its approach is grounded in global solidarity, shared responsibility and multilateral cooperation. Its reach encompasses functional and regional commissions, expert bodies and UN entities across the world. Its policy guidance addresses critical issues — from the sources of inequalities to the responsible governance of artificial intelligence (AI). And its resolutions have real impact at country level. But, the Council’s continued success requires something more, especially in an era when multilateralism is under strain and trust is in short supply. That is why I urge Member States to take immediate steps to implement the reforms they committed to in the Pact for the Future. Steps to strengthen ECOSOC’s work as a principal organ for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and decisions on economic and social development. Steps to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. And steps to reform the international financial architecture — so it reflects the world of today and better serves the needs of developing countries. This means giving developing countries more meaningful participation in global financial institutions, tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, lifting crushing debt burdens, and helping developing countries move up global supply chains. ECOSOC has a vital role to play in our divided and unequal world — and we must waste no time to strengthen it. I welcome its continued efforts to optimize the work of the UN development system — in alignment with the UN80 Initiative’s vision of a stronger, more effective United Nations that delivers for people and planet. Let’s have no illusions about the work before us. The pursuit of shared prosperity and dignity for all is not a sprint. Delegates at that first ECOSOC meeting 80 years ago knew this well. As one of them said: “We are not going to find prosperity just around the corner. We are not going to achieve social security in the twinkling of an eye.” In other words, change takes time. Our duty is to move as fast as we can for the people relying on us — and as steadily as we must to get it right. So, let us renew our commitment to safeguarding rights and speeding up development through multilateral cooperation. ECOSOC is an indispensable platform for global dialogue and action. Together, we can bridge the development divides. We can harness innovation for inclusion, [not] inequality. And we can build a world anchored in peace, justice and shared prosperity.

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António Guterres

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New York (united States)

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United States