News

Lithuania will preside over the substantive session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The session starts on 2 July in Geneva.

The event will be chaired by Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations Ambassador Dalius Čekuolis.

The session will be opened by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, President of the General Assembly Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, President of the Swiss Confederation Micheline Calmy-Rey, Prime Minister of Lithuania Gediminas Kirkilas and Prime Minister of Bahrain Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa.

The substantive session is one of the most important ECOSOC meetings, during which the members of the Council solve global economic and social issues. After the World Summit in 2005, this year the Council is holding its first Annual Ministerial Review of the aims of development policy and launching the Development Cooperation Forum.

In 2007 the key issue of the Annual Ministerial Review is “Strengthening efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, including through the global partnership for Development”. During the Annual Ministerial Review the progress of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals that were set forth in 2000 will be assessed. During the Annual Ministerial Review for the first time it is foreseen to have a presentation of the national experience of the achievement of the development goals by the developing countries: Bangladesh, Barbados, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cambodia and the Republic of Cape Verde.

The key goal of the Development Cooperation Forum is to review the trends in development cooperation, including concrete policymaking, strategies and financing, as well as the intensification of cooperation of various institutions in the area of development.

Representatives of developed and developing countries, the UN organizations, international financial organizations, society and business will take part in the Development Cooperation Forum.

ECOSOC substantive session will be held on 2-27 July. On the first day Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas will open two exhibitions at the UN office in Geneva: an exhibition of Lithuanian artists called “Invisible Bridges of Cultures. Africa and Lithuania” and a photography exposition about Lithuania.

Lithuania was elected to preside over ECOSOC for one year in January 2007.