India wins re-election to UN organ on economic, social issues

United Nations: India has won its re- election to the UN's principal organ on economic, social and environmental issues for another three-year term, continuing its winning streak at elections in the world body.

India was among 18 nations to win election to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It obtained 183 votes, the second highest after Japan in the Asia Pacific category.
Election to fill the 18 vacancies in ECOSOC was held yesterday.

"Another day, another election...India wins again. Thanks to support of @UN Member States, India re-elected to ECOSOC (Eco & Social Council)," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

India's re-election to ECOSOC comes just a day after leading expert on international law Neeru Chadha won a crucial election to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), becoming the first Indian woman to be elected as judge to the tribunal.

Chadha got 120 votes, the highest in the Asia Pacific group, and was elected in the first round of voting itself.

India was seeking re-election to ECOSOC as its current term is set to expire this year.

Pakistan had got elected to ECOSOC for a three-year term starting January 1, 2015. Its term is set to expire on December 31, 2017, according to information about members' tenure on the ECOSOC website.

However, Pakistan's Permanent Mission here said it was not a candidate for re-election.

"As per the records of the General Assembly and further confirmation by the spokesman of Pakistan Mission to the UN in New York, Pakistan was not contesting the election for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Pakistan is currently a member of the Council and serving as its Vice President," its mission said.

As per information about the ECOSOC election posted on the UN website, Pakistan is among the "18 outgoing members" of the UN body.

The others are Argentina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, India, Ireland, Japan, Mauritania, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

As per the vote tally for the ECOSOC election posted on the UN website, Pakistan is listed as having got one vote under the Asia Pacific category. In this category, Japan got 185 votes, followed by India (183), The Philippines (182) and North Korea (1).

Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, the nations' elected members of ECOSOC for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2018 are Belarus, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Japan, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, The Philippines, Spain, Sudan, Togo, Turkey and Uruguay.

ECOSOC, one of the six main organs of the United Nations, is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of the internationally agreed development goals.

The Council's 54-member governments are elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms.

Seats on the Council are allotted based on geographical representation with 14 allocated to African States, 11 to Asian States, six to Eastern European States, 10 to Latin American and Caribbean States, and 13 to Western European and other States.