Nepal’s Lok Bahadur Thapa Elected President of ECOSOC

Ambassador of Nepal to the United Nations, Lok Bahadur Thapa, was elected President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Thursday, July 31. ECOSOC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for promoting international economic and social cooperation and development.

Calling it a “historic moment for Nepal and its enduring commitment to multilateralism,” Thapa announced that the motto of his presidency would be “Delivering Better,” which, he said, requires strengthening partnerships and multilateralism to achieve more effective implementation of initiatives, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Added Thapa: “Delivering better is not an option — it is an imperative. It is our pathway to restoring trust in multilateralism, bridging divides, empowering the most vulnerable and translating commitments into action.”

Four vice-presidents were also elected for the coming year: Amar Bendjama (Algeria), Héctor Gómez Hernández (Spain), Wellington Darío Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic), and Paruyr Hovhannisyan (Armenia), according to UN News.

ECOSOC has 54 member states, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms on a rotating basis, with seats distributed by region.

According to UN News, Thapa outlined five priority areas during his presidency: transforming agriculture to strengthen rural resilience and end hunger; digital entrepreneurship and youth engagement; climate action and resilience with a special focus on glacier lakes and floods; reforming the international financial architecture; and commemorating the 80th anniversary of ECOSOC.