2025: H.E. Bob Rae (Canada)

His Excellency Bob Rae was elected the President of the 2025 session (July 2024 to July 2025) of the Economic and Social Council on 25 July 2024. Ambassador Bob Rae is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York.

Biography

Eightieth President of the Economic and Social Council.

His Excellency Bob Rae is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. Before his appointment by the Government of Canada, Mr. Rae served as Canada’s special envoy on humanitarian and refugee issues, continuing the important work that he began in 2017 as Canada’s special envoy to Myanmar while also addressing other pressing humanitarian and refugee issues around the world.

The former premier of Ontario and former interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Mr. Rae was elected 11 times to federal and provincial parliaments between 1978 and 2013. He stepped down as a member of Parliament in 2013 to return to legal practice and, in particular, to work with Indigenous communities and continue his work in education, governance and human rights. His passion for social justice dates back to his early days in student politics and community service.

Before his appointment as Permanent Representative, Mr. Rae was senior counsel at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP. In addition to his legal practice, he taught at the University of Toronto in the School of Public Policy and Governance, in the Faculty of Law and at Massey College and Victoria University, and he was a fellow of the Forum of Federations, Massey College and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He has also worked as a mediator and arbitrator with ADR Chambers. A former partner at Goodmans LLP, Mr. Rae led the restructuring of the Canadian Red Cross and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and chaired the board of the Royal Conservatory of Music. He is the author of 5 books and a number of government reports.

Mr. Rae is a privy councillor, a companion of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario and has numerous awards and honorary degrees from institutions in Canada and around the world. He received his Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern History from the University of Toronto and a Master of Philosophy degree as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.  

Statements
13 November 2025Remarks at Presentation of the Report of the Council to the General Assembly
31 July 2025Closing Statement at ECOSOC Organizational Session
24 July 2025Closing Statement at Adoption of the HLPF Ministerial Declaration Conclusion of the ECOSOC High-Level Segment
23 July 2025Statement at Africa Day at HLPF
22 July 2025Opening Remarks at High-Level Dialogue on Adequate Housing for All
22 July 2025Remarks at the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025: Special Event on Addressing High Food Price Inflation for Food Security and Nutrition
22 July 2025Remarks at World Brain Day - "Brain Health for All Ages"
21 July 2025Ministerial Opening Statement of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum
17 July 2025Opening Remarks at Final Preparatory Meeting for 2025 VNR Countries 
16 July 2025Opening Remarks at Local and Regional Governments Forum
15 July 2025Opening Remarks at Advancing Health, Gender, Decent Work and Partnerships: From HLPF 2025 to the Second World Social Summit
9 July 2025Keynote at Leaders TalkX: Forging Partnerships for Purpose: Advancing the Digital for Development Landscape
30 June 2025Remarks at the FfD4 Opening Segment
26 June 2025Remarks at the General Assembly Meeting to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter
18 June 2025Opening Statement at the Humanitarian Affairs Segment
17 June 2025Opening Statement at the Meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development
11 June 2025Opening Statement at Joint ECOSOC-PBC Meeting: Building and Sustaining Peace in Haiti 
5 June 2025Video Statement at Social Rights: Building Social Justice and Democratic Stability
29 May 2025Video Statement at Resumed 2nd session of the UN-Habitat Assembly
22 May 2025Closing statement at the ECOSOC Operational Activities Segment
19 May 2025Video Statement at the 34th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
12 May 2025Statement at the SDG 16 Conference
8 May 2025Closing statement at the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation
7 May 2025Opening statement at the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation
6 May 2025Closing Statement at ECOSOC Special Meeting on Artificial Intelligence
6 May 2025Opening Statement at ECOSOC Special Meeting on Artificial Intelligence
5 May 2025Video statement at the 20th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests
29 April 2025Closing Statement at the ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum
28 April 2025Opening statement at the ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum
24 April 2025Closing remarks at the ECOSOC Special Meeting on Forced Displacement and Refugee Protection
24 April 2025Opening Statement at Special Meeting on Forced Displacement and Refugee Protection
23 April 2025Video statement at the World Press Freedom Day
22 April 2025PFII Side Event “The Next Generation of Indigenous Advocacy – an Intergenerational Dialogue” – Opening (Coming soon)
21 April 2025Opening Statement at Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
21 April 2025Video message at the 81st session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
17 April 2025Closing Statement at National Model UN Conference
16 April 2025Opening Statement at Youth Forum Africa Regional Session
15 April 2025Statement at the opening segment of the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum
9 April 2025Statement at the 11th Africa Regional Sustainable Development Forum (Kampala)
7 April 2025Video message at the opening segment of the 28th session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development
7 April 2025Video message at the Second Global Workshop for 2025 VNR countries
2 April 2025UNECE Regional Sustainable Development Forum – Opening (Coming soon)
28 March 2025Opening Statement at Special Meeting on International Cooperation in Tax Matters
25 March 2025Video statement at the 48th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
21 March 2025High-Level Celebration of World Day for Glaciers and World Water Day 2025 – Opening (Coming soon)
18 March 2025Opening Statement at CSW Interactive Dialogue: Accelerating implementation of Beijing Platform for Action
17 March 2025Statement at the joint Meeting of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on Small Arms and Light Weapons Control for Preventing Violence and Advancing Sustainable Development
13 March 2025Opening Statement at CSW Interactive Dialogue: Accelerating the implementation of Beijing Platform for Action
13 March 2025Closing Statement at Development Cooperation Forum
12 March 2025Statement at Opening of the 2025 Development Cooperation Forum
11 March 2025CSW side event: “Celebrating Intersectional Feminist Leadership at Beijing + 30 – Opening” (Coming soon)
10 March 202569th session of the Commission on the Status of Women – Opening (Coming soon)
10 March 2025Video message at the opening segment of the 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
10 March 2025Statement at 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
25 February 2025Remarks at the Twelfth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development in Bangkok
24 February 2025Statement at the 27th session of the Committee for Development Policy
11 February 2025Opening remarks at the seventh Intersessional Meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 
10 February 2025Opening Statement at the Commission on Social Development
6 February 2025Statement at Opening of the 2025 ECOSOC Coordination Segment
5 February 2025Closing Statement at the 2025 ECOSOC Partnership Forum
5 February 2025Opening Statement at the 2025 ECOSOC Partnership Forum
24 January 2025Statement at International Day of Education 2025
20 January 2025Joint Briefing of the 79th President of the General Assembly and the President of ECOSOC
16 January 2025Statement at Briefing on the outcome of the 21st replenishment of the World Bank's International Development Association 
3 December 2024Statement at First Global Workshop for 2025 VNR Countries
2 December 2024Opening Statement at Special Meeting of ECOSOC: ”Haiti’s Children Cannot Wait: Supporting Stability, Resilience, and Prosperity in Haiti”
12 November 2024Statement at Thematic Discussions on the Implementation of All International Drug Policy Commitments
21 October 2024Statement at 52nd Session of the Committee on World Food Security 
9 October 2024Statement at Shaping an Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future Side-Event
8 October 2024Statement at Seventh High-level Forum on United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management
7 October 2024Statement at United Nations International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP)
26 September 2024Statement at High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance
26 September 2024Statement at Least Developed Countries Ministerial Meeting
26 September 2024Statement at Landlocked Developing Countries Annual Ministerial Meeting
26 September 2024Statement at Middle Income Countries Annual Ministerial Meeting
19 September 2024Briefing to the UN Human Rights Council
25 July 2024Inaugural Address, Organizational Session of ECOSOC (English/French)
Vision and Activities of the President

Vision for the Presidency

Trip to Haiti – August 2024

Engagements during UN General Assembly High-level Week – September 2024

Special Meeting on Haiti – December 2024

Letters
7 May 2025Letter of Invitation to the Joint Meeting of the ECOSOC and the Peacebuilding Commission 
25 April 2025Letter on CSW Revitalization Cofacilitator Re-appointment
15 April 2025Letter on the Sharing of the Impact Report of the 2025 ECOSOC Partnership Forum
7 April 2025Letter of invitation for the Special Meeting of the Economic and Social Council on “Forced Displacement and Refugee Protection”
28  March 2025Letter from President General Assembly on Small arms and light weapons
25  March 2025Letter to the Secretary-General regarding the UN80 initiative
25  March 2025Letter on 2025 ECOSOC Upcoming Meetings 
14 March 2025Letter of invitation for the Special Meeting of the Economic and Social Council on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
10 March 2025Letter of invitation for 2025 ECOSOC High-level segment and HLPF and draft programme 11 March 2025 (HLPF briefing mentioned in the letter has been rescheduled to 30 April, 3 p.m. in Conference Room 1)
10 March 2025Letter from President General Assembly and President ECOSOC – Joint meeting on Small Arms and Light Weapons and Development
26 February 2025Letter of invitation for the Special Meeting of the Economic and Social Council on “Forced Displacement and Refugee Protection”
25 February 2025Letter to invite the participation in the 2025 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up (FFD Forum)
14 February 2025Letter to invite the participation of Member States in the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum
13 February 2025Letter to joint meeting of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council
3 February 2025Letter to reappoint the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Voluntary National Reviews for 2025
23 January 2025          Letter on the 2025 ECOSOC Special Meeting on International Cooperation in Tax Matters 
23 January 2025 Letter of invitation for 2025 High-level Meeting of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF)
14 January 2025Letter on 2025 ECOSOC Meetings
23  December 2024Letter of invitation for 2025 Economic and Social Council Youth Forum
19 December 2024Letter of invitation for the tenth annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum)
11 December 2024Appointment of co-facilitators for the Ministerial Declaration of the High-level Segment and High-level Political Forum 2025
11 December 2024Appointment of co-facilitators for the revitalization of the Commission on the Status of Women
26 November 2024Letter of invitation for ECOSOC Special Meeting – Haiti’s Children Cannot Wait (English / French)
13 November 2024Appointment of the co-chairs of the tenth STI Forum
5 November 2024Letter of invitation for 2025 Partnership Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
7 October 2024List of 2025 VNR countries
Publications

A Year In Review 2024-2025