The Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) provides support to the work of the General Assembly, ECOSOC and the High-Ievel Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. The Office provides substantive support to and the various high-level segments of ECOSOC, including its operational activities and Integration Segments, as well as its coordination and management meetings and Youth Forum. The Office works with Member States, DESA's divisions and UN system entities to ensure that the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda by UN intergovernmental bodies is coherent, builds on each body's mandate and expertise; and reflects the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Office supports inclusive preparations of the HLPF notably its regular reviews of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, including Voluntary National Reviews.

The Office promotes the coherent contribution of the Council’s subsidiary bodies to its work and that of the HLPF. It assists ECOSOC in identifying emerging challenges and major issues requiring the attention of Member States, in order to realize the Sustainable Development Goals and build and sustain peace.

The Office also supports the General Assembly deliberations and negotiations as well as the follow-up of the major UN conferences and summits. It provides substantive analysis to Member States so they can effectively guide and oversee UN system operational activities for development through the General Assembly quadrennial comprehensive policy review. Progress is reviewed annually in ECOSOC as part of its overall coordination and guidance role, ensuring continuous engagement with the UN development system in the search for new ways to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The Office is the entry point for NGQs seeking consultative status with ECOSOC, through its support to the NGO Committee, and it guides those in status on how best to contribute to the work of the Council. It also supports the engagement of major groups and other stakeholders in the HLPF.

Overall, the subprogramme serves as a gateway to mobilize the integrated support of DESA divisions and other UN system entities to UN intergovernmental processes, to the HLPF, the General Assembly and ECOSOC, and to Member States and the international community.

UN chambers

Intergovernmental Policy and Review

The Intergovernmental Policy and Review Branch provides substantive support to the work of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the HLPF. This includes supporting the Voluntary National Reviews at the HLPF and spearheading and coordinating the dialogues around the annual theme and selected Sustainable Development Goals at the HLPF and the work of various segments. The Branch engages other divisions, the UN system and major groups and other stakeholders in its work and cooperates in identifying major trends related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda that require the attention of intergovernmental bodies. It also supports the engagement of major groups in the work of ECOSOC and the HLPF, and prepares selected reports of the Secretary-General and other analytical inputs.

 

Operational Activities

The Operational Activities Branch provides the substantive support to the General Assembly quadrennial comprehensive policy review of the UN system operational activities for development and to ECOSOC's coordination and guidance to the UN development system. This includes preparing the reports of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly and ECOSOC, organizing the programme of General Assembly meetings, organizing the ECOSOC operational activities segment as well as supporting intergovernmental negotiations and related processes, working closely with the UN system.

 

Non-Governmental Organizations

The Non-Governmental Organizations Branch is responsible for the implementation of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31 regarding the establishment of consultative relationship between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. To this end, the Branch supports the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which is responsible for recommending the granting of consultative status with ECOSOC and monitoring the work of NGOs in consultative status. It also supports the participation of NGOs in consultative status in intergovernmental meetings and conduct outreach and communication with NGOs, notably on the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

 

Inter-organizational and Inter-institutional Support

The Inter-organizational and Inter-institutional Support Branch supports ECOSOC in overseeing, guiding and integrating the work of its subsidiary machinery and in coordinating the work of the United Nations system on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and major UN conferences and summits. It coordinates the engagement of the UN system in supporting the work of the Council and the HLPF and organizes the Integration Segment. It fosters coherence and synergies in the support to ECOSOC functional and regional commissions and expert bodies. The Branch supports the work of the Council on peace building, including the contribution of ECOSOC to the Peace Building Commission and ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. It supports the ECOSOC Youth Forum and the Ad Hoc meetings of ECOSOC to address urgent developments in the economic, social and related fields. It also supports the communication activities for ECOSOC and the HLPF in close collaboration with the UN’s Department of Global Communications.

Events

The Office for Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development (OISC) is coordinating and organizing the following official meetings:

  • Partnership Forum (5 February 2025)
  • Coordination Segment (6-7 February 2025)
  • Development Cooperation Forum (12-13 March 2025)
  • Special meeting of ECOSOC on International Cooperation in Tax Matters (28 March 2025)
  • Management Meetings (4 April 2025; 15-17 April 2025)
  • ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow-Up (28 April-1 May 2025)
  • Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals ( 7-8 May 2025)
  • Operational Activities for Development Segment (20-22 May 2025)
  • Management Segment (10-11 June 2025; and 29-30 July 2025)
  • Meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development (17 June 2025)
  • Humanitarian Affairs Segment (18-20 June 2025)
  • High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (14-23 July 2025)
  • High-level Segment of ECOSOC (21-24 July 2025)
  • Organizational session (31 July 2025)