Having served as one of the four ECOSOC Vice-Presidents, Ms. Juul was elected by acclamation on Thursday morning.
The Council should promote “universal respect and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. For all”, continued the newly elected president. “Without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion”.
“Today, we also have the overarching 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, she stated, which “guides our efforts to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all”.
ECOSOC offers “a multitude of opportunities” to assist the global community in reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ms. Juul said, noting that “ECOSOC and its intergovernmental structures make up a whole ecosystem”, with each component providing a specific function.
She thanked her predecessor, Rhonda King, for “her great work and dedication”.
“It is my ambition as President, to make ECOSOC work better – as an ecosystem” Ms. Juul declared, saying that she would work “to ensure that we collectively deliver on our goals”.
She encouraged the Council to use the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) to follow-up and review the Agenda 2030, saying that she would hold “an inclusive, fact-based and action-oriented” HLPF in 2020.
The new chief also advocated that ECOSOC align “the whole UN family” for improved results and under Government leadership, strive to make a difference in countries.
‘Value to people’
“The UN must be of value to people”, she stressed, forecasting that UN reform would yield “better, more coherent and more effective” results.
Citing the Secretary-General’s call for bold changes in UN funding, she asserted that “the UN development system needs more flexible and predictable funding”.
And at the same time, the UN development system “must deliver on their commitments”, she stated. “We expect better results, greater transparency and accountability, and a more efficiency”.
“Unless we see a reformed UN, our credibility is at stake”, she upheld. “The true test of our success will be whether persons, communities and countries actually experience improvement in their lives and societies”.
