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UN at 80: The role of ECOSOC in leading action for a stronger and more effective multilateral system

Ended
New York City
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2025 marks the United Nations’ 80th anniversary, a milestone amid pressing global challenges such as inequality, poverty, climate change, and conflicts. This moment calls for reflection on the future of multilateralism and solidarity. In March 2025, the Secretary-General launched the UN80 Initiative to evaluate the Organization’s fitness for purpose. With the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline approaching, efforts to modernize the UN are accelerating to address increasingly complex global challenges.

This session of the ECOSOC High-Level Segment will facilitate dialogue among UN entities, Heads of Government, and Ministers. It aims to explore ways to revitalize ECOSOC’s leadership and functions, enhancing its effectiveness and dynamism in advancing multilateral solutions to global challenges in today’s rapidly evolving international environment.

Chairperson

Photo of Robert Rae
Robert Rae
President, Canada, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Panelists

Photo of Guy Ryder
Guy Ryder
Under-Secretary-General for Policy, United Nations (UN)
Photo of Gilbert F. Houngbo
Gilbert F. Houngbo
Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO)
Photo of Kitty van der Heijden
Kitty van der Heijden
Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Photo of Tomas Lamanauskas
Tomas Lamanauskas
Deputy Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Photo of Robinah Nabbanja
Robinah Nabbanja
Prime Minister, Uganda
Photo of Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa
Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa
Secretary General, Qatar, National Planning Council (NPC)

Moderator

Photo of Sherwin Bryce-Pease
Sherwin Bryce-Pease
Bureau Chief and Correspondent, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)