“UN-ECOSOC” -India Elected to 3 Key Bodies

What is the News? India has been elected to three key bodies of the UN ECOSOC (United Nations’ Economic and Social Council).

These bodies are the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), Executive Board of UN Women, Executive Board of the World Food Programme.

United Nations Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC)

• UN- ECOSOC was established in 1945. It is one of the six main organs of the United Nations.
  • Other organs are UNSC, UNGA, Trusteeship Council, ICJ, and UN secretariat.
• Aim: To serve as a forum for discussing international economic and social issues. It also works towards formulating policy recommendations addressed to the Member States and the United Nations system.
• Members: The Council consists of 54 Member States. The UNGA will elect them for a three-year term.
• Headquarters: New York, United States.

 Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ):

• Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice(CCPCJ) is a functional commission of the UN-ECOSOC
• Purpose: The commission serves as the primary organ that guides the activities of the United Nations. Especially in the fields of crime prevention and criminal justice.
• Members: CCPJ has 40 member states that are elected by ECOSOC.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.

UN Women

• UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
• The UN General Assembly established UN Women in 2010 to accelerate the progress on meeting women’s needs worldwide.
• Members: The Executive Board of UN Women consists of 41 members.
• Headquarters: New York, United States

World Food Programme(WFP):

• Both the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) founded the WFP in 1961.
• Aim: To eradicate hunger and malnutrition with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
• Significance: It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.
• Members: The Executive Board of WFP consists of 36 states members. The board provides intergovernmental support, policy direction and supervision of the activities of WFP.
• Funding: Voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors will entirely fund the operations of WFP.
• Nobel Prize: WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. This is for the following reasons,
  • Firstly, WFP’s contribution in combating hunger,
  • Secondly, Work of WFP towards bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas
  • Thirdly, Its role as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy

Source: WION