Sri Lanka has been elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) during the elections held in New York on June 7, 2024, for a three-year term commencing on January 1, 2025. Sri Lanka secured 182 votes from the 189 member states present and voting, achieving the second-highest vote count from the region and the seventh-highest overall. This marks Sri Lanka’s third tenure on the ECOSOC, having previously served from 1985-1989 and 2006-2008.
As a member of ECOSOC, Sri Lanka will contribute to various council initiatives, including poverty eradication, food security, financing for development, reforming the international financial architecture to support vulnerable countries, climate justice, gender equality, women’s empowerment, the rights of persons with disabilities, science and technology, and bridging the digital divide. The 18 countries elected on June 7, 2024, to join the 54-member ECOSOC include Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia from the Asia-Pacific region. This election marks Sri Lanka’s fourth consecutive success in multilateral elections, highlighting significant diplomatic achievements led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its overseas diplomatic missions. Established in 1945, ECOSOC is a principal UN organ coordinating economic and social fields, advancing international cooperation, development, and Sustainable Development Goals. The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in New York, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lankan missions overseas, spearheaded the successful election campaign.
