Russia failed to secure seat in one of main UN bodies

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)

The Russian Federation has not been elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) – one of the organization's six main bodies, reports Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba.

According to him, the 26th round of voting took place today, in which the Russian Federation failed to be elected to ECOSOC.

"This vote once again demonstrates that Russia can hit the wall as many times as it wants, but the outcome will remain the same: international criminals are not welcome in international bodies," the post reads.

What is ECOSOC

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the principal body responsible for coordinating the economic activities of the UN and its specialized agencies.

ECOSOC accounts for nearly 70% of all budgetary resources and personnel of the UN.

The Council consists of 54 member countries elected by the UN General Assembly for a three-year term, with 18 members elected annually.

Its main functions include:

・discussing international economic and social issues and developing recommendations to address them;

・encouraging states to adhere to human rights and fundamental freedoms;

・developing draft conventions on matters within its competence for submission to the General Assembly;

・coordinating the activities of specialized agencies through consultations and recommendations;

・consulting with relevant non-governmental organizations on issues within its competence.

It should be noted that today the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has requested the Russian Federation to cease interfering with the operation of European satellite systems, as it endangers air traffic management.