Economic and Social Council: 16th plenary meeting, 2026 session

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues. The 16th meeting of the Economic and Social Council is called to order. I invite the Council to continue its consideration of agenda Item 4, elections, nomination, confirmation, and appointments. Distinguished delegates, this afternoon, the Council will hold election by secret ballot to the following bodies where the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies. or for which a request for secret balloting was received. INCB members from among the candidates nominated by government. The Commission on the Status of Women candidate from among the Asia-Pacific States, and the Western European and other States. The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, candidates from among the Western European and other States. The Commission on Science and Technology for Development, candidates from among the Western European and other States. The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, candidates from among the Western European and other States. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, candidates from among the Eastern European States. The Intergovernmental Working Group on Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, candidates from among the Eastern European States. And finally, the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund candidates from among the Western European and other states from a term beginning on 1 January 2027 and expiring on 31 December 2027. With regard to any statements to be made under agenda item four. I mean in connection with elections. I will open the floor for statements before we proceed to the election. And again, I will open the floor after the results of secret balloting have been announced. Does any delegation wish to make a statement in connection with the elections at this stage? No request. Oh, I'm sorry. The Islamic Republic of Iran, you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President. As the Economic and Social Council is going to consider the composition of the Commission on the Status of Women, I would like to shed light on the atrocities and genocidal acts committed by the Israeli regime, including systematic violations of international law and international human rights law concerning women and girls. In this context, Member States of the Economic and Social Council are kindly requested to give due consideration to Israel's candidature for this Commission. This is with the view that the Commission's credibility and effectiveness would be best served by members whose conduct is fully consistent with its founding principles. Documented reports from international sources dating from 2023 onwards, indicate a pattern of action by Israel that has resulted in significant casualties among women and children across the region. In Gaza, more than 33,000 women have been killed and slaughtered, and over 45,000 injured, alongside more than 21,000 children killed and over 44,000 injured. These figures do not include casualties in the West Bank and Palestine. In Lebanon, over 800 women have been injured as of April 2026, while 116 children have been killed and 331 injured. In my country, Iran, after this war of choice and aggression itself, since 28th of February 2026, 251 women have been killed and more than 4,700 injured, while 216 minors under the age of 18, including 17 children under five, have been killed, and nearly 2,000 minors, including 68 children under two, have been injured. Over decades, Palestinian women and girls have been subjected to acts consistent with the definition of genocide under international law. From historical patterns to the most recent assaults, the systematic violation of the rights of women and girls by the Israeli regime are evident. Despite the thoroughly documented violation, the Israeli regime is brazenly seeking membership in the Commission on the Status of Women. Should Member States of the Economic and Social Council fail to prevent Israel from obtaining membership, the result would be not only the continued killing of women and girls, but also a serious erosion of the Commission's credibility, thereby undermining its mandate to promote the rights, well-being, and empowerment of women and girls worldwide. In light of the foregoing, we urge the esteemed member of the Economic and Social Council to give careful consideration to these documented facts and to prevent this regime from obtaining membership in the CSW and exploiting it to whitewash its systematic violation of women's and girls' rights. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. No other request. We shall now proceed with the election. I wish to inform the Council that representatives of Mexico, Mauritania, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Ukraine have agreed to serve as tellers for this afternoon's election. Would they kindly approach the front of the podium? Dear colleagues, before we begin the voting process, I would like to remind Members that, pursuant to rule 63 of the Rules of Procedure of this Council, No representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. The conference officer will now distribute the ballot papers, and the voting process has thus begun. Delegation are invited to complete carefully the ballot papers.

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Is it done? I now invite the tellers and the conference officers to approach the podium with the ballot box so we can verify that the boxes are empty. I now invite the tellers and conference officers to proceed to collect the ballot papers.

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For the last time, may I request any representatives who may not have voted to do so now by approaching the podium to cast their ballots. Good. The voting is now closed. No more ballot papers will be accepted. I invite the tellers and the secretariat staff to leave the Chamber in order to count the ballot papers. The result of the votes will be announced once they are tallied. While we wait for the result of the secret ballots, I invite the Council to turn its attention to election to be conducted by acclamation. First, in connection with the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund. Four members that were previously elected by the Council. I would like to inform the Council that Iceland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are resigning from their seats on the Executive Board, effective 31st December 2026. Finland and Australia have been endorsed by their regional group to assume the vacated seats. May I therefore take it that the Council wish to elect by acclamation Finland and Australia to complete the expired term of office of Iceland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively, beginning on 1st January 2027 and expiring on 31st December 2028. No objection. It is so decided. Now, dear colleague, Pending the results of the secret ballot, I will briefly suspend the meeting for not more than 20 minutes. The meeting is suspended.

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Dear colleagues, I finally have the result of the secret ballot for the International Narcotics Control Board. The results of the secret ballot are as follows: Number of ballot papers, 54. Number of invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballots, 54. Abstentions, 0. Members present and voting, 54. Majority required, 28. Hereafter, the number of individual votes obtained. Sivil Atasoy, Turkey, 39. Younes Zebiche, Algeria, 36. Naima Haroun Saleh, Chad, 28. Then David Johnson, United States of America, 26. Lin Lu, China, 26. Camilo Eduardo Umana Hernandez, Colombia, 26. Galina Gorshagina, Russian Federation, 19. Abdullah Hassan Matar Al-Hayat, United Arab Emirates, 18. Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, Ghana, 8. Wael Ibrahim Abdellal Zahr, 8. Zahr from Egypt, 8. Larissa-- Razana Dimbi, Madagascar. 8. Paulo Ivo Albasini Teixeira Garrido, Mozambique. 8. Paulo Ivo Albasini, excuse me. Didier Atchou, Benin. I am sorry, I repeat. I repeat, from Madagascar. Larissa Razanadimby, Madagascar, eight. Paulo Ivo Albassini Teixeira Garrido, Mozambique, six. Didier Atchou, Benin, five. Jean-Marius Ndaywengeye, Burundi, five. Mohammed Buba Marwa, Nigeria, 4. Eva Trejner, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4. Having obtained the necessary majority and the highest number of votes, I declare elected Sevil Atasoy, Turkey, Younes Zbech, Algeria, Naima Haroun Saleh, Chad, to the International Narcotics Control Board for a five-year term beginning on the 2nd of March 2027. Sorry to be late, but we have to do it again. I now invite the Council to proceed to a second round of balloting for the purpose of filling the two remaining seats, two remaining seats on the International Narcotics Control Board from among candidates nominated by governments. In accordance with Rule 70 of the Rules of Procedure of the Council, this restricted ballot is limited to four candidates for two remaining seats who obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot. These four candidates are David Johnson, United States of America; Galina Korshagina, Russian Federation; Lin Liu, China; and Camilo Eduardo Umana Hernandez, Colombia. May I ask the teller of Mexico and Ukraine to also act as teller for this election. Would they kindly approach the front of the podium? Mexico and Ukraine. It's done? Good. Before we begin the voting process, I would like to remind members that, pursuant to Rule 63 of the Rules of Procedure of the Council, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order. in connection with the actual process of voting. The conference officers will now distribute the ballot paper and the voting process has thus begun. Delegations are requested to check the boxes against the name of up to two candidates nominated by governments from among the four names which have been read out. I should like to caution members that any ballot having more than two names will be considered invalid. Now, delegations are invited to complete all ballot papers. I now invite the tellers and the conference officers to approach the podium with the ballot boxes so that we can verify that the boxes are empty, completely empty. I now invite the tellers and conference officers to proceed to collect the ballot papers. 26, 26, 26. It's finished. May I request representatives who may not have voted to do so now by approaching the podium to cast their ballot. I see none. The voting is now closed. No more ballot papers will be accepted. I invite the tellers and the secretariat staff to leave the chamber in order to count swiftly and quickly the ballot papers. The result of the vote will be announced once they are tallied, as soon as possible. while we wait for the result of the secret ballot. May I read the result of the other elections? Committee on Status of Women. Number of ballot papers: 54. 0. Number of valid ballots: 54. 0. Members present and voting: 54. Majority required 28. Number of individual votes obtained Tajikistan 48. Kiribati 36. Islamic Republic of Iran 22. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected Tajikistan, Kilibati, for the Committee on the Status of Women for a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the Commission 72nd session in 2027 and expiring at the close of the Commission 75th session in 2031. Now, Committee on the Status of Women. Three members to be elected from members of the Western European and other state. The result of the secret ballot is as follows. Number of ballot papers, 54. Numbers of invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballots, 54. Abstention, Zero. Members present and voting, 54. Majority required, 28. Number of individual votes obtained. Austria, 52. Spain, 52. Israel, 36. Having obtained the necessary majority and the highest number of votes, I declare elected Austria, Spain, Israel to the Committee on the Status of Women for a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the Commission's 72nd session in 2027 and expiring at the close of the Commission's 75th session in 2031. Now, Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Three members to be elected from members of the Western European and other states. The results of the secret ballot are as follows. 54. 0. Number of valid ballots, 54. Abstention, 0. Member present and voting, 54. Majority required, 28. Number of individual vote obtained, Italy, 52. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 51. Israel, 34. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected Italy, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Israel. to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2027. Next, Commission on Science and Technology for Development. The result of the secret ballot are as follows. For the five members to be elected from members of the Western European and other state. Number of ballot papers, 54. Number of invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballot, 54. Abstention, 1. Members present and voting, 53. Majority required, 27. Number of individual vote obtained, Turkey, 52. Australia, 50. France, 50. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 49. Israel, 38. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected Turkey, Australia, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Israel, to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development for a four-year term, beginning on 1st January 2027. Next. Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations. The result of the secret ballot are as follows. For the four members to be elected from members of the Western European and other states. Number of ballot papers, 54. 0. 54. 1. 53. 27. Number of individual votes obtained: Turkey 50. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 49. United States of America, 45. Israel, 36. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Israel, to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations for a full year term beginning on 1st January 2027. Next. Intergovernmental Working Group on Experts on International Standards, Accounting and Reporting. One member to be elected from members of the Eastern European states. The result of the secret ballot was as follows: Number of ballot papers. 54. Number of invalid ballots, 0. Number of valid ballots, 54. Abstentions, 17. Members present and voting, 37. Majority required, 19. Number of individual votes obtained: Russian Federation 37. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected the Russian Federation to the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards, of Accounting and Reporting for a three-year term beginning on 1st January 2027. Next, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. One member to be elected from members of the Eastern European state. The results of the secret ballot are as follows. Number of ballot papers, 54. Invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballots, 54. Abstention, 17. Member present and voting, 37. Majority required, 19. Number of individual vote obtained. Aslan Abashidze, Russian Federation, 37. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected Aslan Abashidze from the Russian Federation to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2027. Now, last, the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund. The results of the secret ballots are as follows. Number of ballot papers, 54. Invalid ballots, 0. Number of valid ballots, 54. Abstention, 1. Members present and voting, 53. Majority required, 27. Number of individual votes obtained, Denmark, 52. Luxembourg, 48. Israel, 35. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected Denmark, Luxembourg, Israel to the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund. for a term beginning on 1st January 2027 and expiring on 31st of December 2027. Now, the result of the second round for the election of two members to be elected from among candidates nominated by government to the International Narcotics Control Board. The result of the secret ballots are as follows. Number of ballot papers, 53. Number of invalid ballots, 0. Number of valid ballots, 53. Abstention, 0. Members present and voting, 53. Majority required, 27. Number of individual votes obtained. Camilo Eduardo Umana Hernandez, Colombia, 29. Lin Lu, China, 28. David Johnson, United States of America, 26. Galina Korshachina, Russian Federation, 19. Having obtained the necessary majority, I declare elected Camilo Eduardo Umana Hernandez, Colombia. and Ling Lu, China, to the International Narcotics Control Board for a five-year term, beginning on the 2nd of March 2027. Before adjourning this meeting, I invite any delegation wishing to make a statement in relation to the election conducted today. Any statement? I understand that we are all tired. So, I see no request from the floor. This concludes the ECOSOC meetings to conduct election to subsidiary and related bodies. The result of the secret ballots will be posted on ECOSOC place shortly after the adjournment of the meeting. May I thank the tellers for their support and the secretariat for the preparation of this long, long meeting. Thank you all for your patience and for your indulgence for my rocky English. The meeting is adjourned.