2007 COORDINATION SEGMENT

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Date: - Location: GENEVA

The coordination segment took place the 6-10 July 2007 and focused on the theme “The role of the UN system in promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all”. The segment also considered “The role of the Economic and Social Council in the integrated and coordinated implementation of the United Nations conferences and summits, in the light of General Assembly resolutions 50/227, 52/12B, 57/270B and 60/265”.

The theme of the Segment provided an opportunity for Member States to follow up on the 2006 Ministerial Declaration and: a) review progress made by the UN system in promoting the goals of full employment and decent work for all; b) review the system’s efforts to integrate these goals in their policies, programmes and operations, both individually and as a system; and c) provide guidance on the way forward (informal summary of the debate). Two panel discussions complemented the debate on this theme, which focused on the following issues:

1) “Toolkit for Mainstreaming Employment and Decent Work”; and

2) “The United Nations system role in promoting employment and the decent work agenda in national strategic frameworks: the case of Latin America”.

The segment also provided an opportunity for member States to review progress made by the Council in promoting the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the major UN Conferences and Summits in the consideration of the Secretary-General’s report on this subject (A/62/89- E/2007/76). A panel discussion with the Chairpersons of the United Nations functional commissions on “Working together to promote the goals of full employment and decent work for all- dialogue with the Chairpersons of the functional commissions”, focused on the role of the Council and its subsidiary machinery in promoting a coordinated and integrated follow-up to the major United Nations conferences and summits and addressed ways in which their work could contribute to promoting the goals of employment and decent work.

At the end of its work, the coordination segment adopted two resolutions: E/2007/L.14 , and E/2007/L.32  

The contact person for additional information on the coordination segment is Ms. Monica Nogara, Economic Affairs Officer, Policy Coordination Branch, Office of ECOSOC Support and Coordination. Please contact: ( @email )
 

Programme

 

DOCUMENTATION

Panel Discussions

Three panel discussions were held in the course of the coordination segment. Two panels were dedicated to the theme of the segment and focused on progress made by the UN system in integrating the goals of full and productive employment and decent work for all into its programmes and activities:

Panel 1 - UN Chief Executive Board presentation on employment and decent work: “Toolkit for mainstreaming employment and decent work”, 6 July (4-6 p.m.)  

The UN Chief Executive Board (CEB) had requested the International Labour Organization (ILO) to develop a toolkit to promote employment generation and decent work in the UN system organizations. The panel discussion provided an opportunity to present the Toolkit, endorsed by the CEB at its meeting in April 2007, and to discuss next steps in the adoption and use of the Toolkit by the UN system organizations.

Panel 2 - United Nations system role in promoting employment and the decent work agenda in national strategic frameworks: the case of Latin America and the Caribbean, 9 July (10 a.m.-1 p.m)  

The 2006 ECOSOC Ministerial Declaration requested the UN system organizations to mainstream the goals of full and productive employment and decent work for all in their policies, programmes and activities. The panel discussion focused on the role and support of the UN system in making employment and decent work central to national strategic frameworks, such as national development strategies (NDSs), including poverty reduction strategies (PRSs), UN Common Country Assessments (CCAs) and the United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs). The panel focused on the experience of Latin America and the Caribbean and helped provide a better understanding of the work of the UN system in this area both at the regional and country level.

Panel 3 - Working Together to Promote the Goals of Decent Work and Full Employment for All: Dialogue with the Chairpersons of the Functional Commissions, 10 July (3-6 p.m.)

The panel discussion, structured as a dialogue between the ECOSOC bureau and the chairpersons of the functional commissions was ordered around the main objective of strengthening the ECOSOC and two core issues in the UN Development Agenda: 1. Eradication of poverty and hunger, including through the global partnership for development, and 2. The role of the UN system in promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all. The overall aim was to promote a more unified approach in the contributions of the functional commissions to the follow-up of the UN conferences and summits.

The panel provided a forum for a free-flowing dialogue on progress, challenges and opportunities encountered by the functional commissions and other subsidiary bodies of the Council in advancing and assessing the implementation of the outcomes of the major UN conferences and summits, including the 2005 World Summit.

The panel discussion produced several important proposals on how the subsidiary bodies could strengthen their contribution to the Council's new functions, notably the Annual Ministerial Review and the Development Cooperation Forum.

Informal Summaries

OUTCOME

The resolutions and decisions adopted under agenda item 4 can be downloaded from the official version of the 2007 resolutions and decisions.