UN Special Consultative Status

The United Nations Economic and Social Council

The World Jurist Association has Special Consultative Status at the UN Economic and Social Council.

Information about the Council

ECOSOC,  established under the United Nations Charter, is the principal organ that coordinates economic, social, and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. It also received reports from it’s subsidiary bodies. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system. ECOSOC has several responsibilities including:

• to promote higher living standards , full employment, and economic and social progress;
• to identify solutions to international economic, social and health problems;
• to facilitate international cultural and educational cooperation; and
• to encourage universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

It has the power to make or initiate studies and reports on these issues. It also has the power to assist the preparations and organization of major international conferences in the economic and social and related fields and to facilitate a coordinated follow-up to these conferences. With its broad mandate the Council’s purview extends to over 70 per cent of the human and financial resources of the entire UN system.

Official UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights

51st Session of the Commission for Social Development: A Focus on Empowerment

The 51st session of the Commission for Social Development was held February 6-15, 2013. The priory theme was “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all.” For complete details visit http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article4214

What the WJA is doing in relation to UN Work

In 2011, the World Jurist Association held 2 major UN related events. In April, we held a conference on “International Arbitration and ADR – The Impact of the Rule of Law” in Grand Baie, Mauritius. The sessions included ways to assist marginalized person get access to justice through various alternatives to the courtroom.

In October 2011, the World Jurist Association held its 24^th Biennial Congress on the Law of the World in Prague, Czech Republic. The Prague Congress was themed on “National Legal Cultures in a Globalized World”, and brought together legal professionals from around the world to discuss diverse legal aspects and global development. Our traditional Demonstration Trial was on “International Drug Trafficking” in furtherance of the work of other UN bodies such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Our panel sessions were in alignment with the work of UN Partners to MDGS including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UN Women, the World Bank, UNEP, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).  The Prague Congress also significantly contributed to one of the 8 UNDP MDGs – A global partnership for development – by having a wide range of panel discussions that sought to promote global development. Some of the panels included Global Challenges, Global Health & Climate Change, Doing Business Within an International Rule of Law Framework, Bilateral Investment Treaties, Judicial Reform, War, Tribal Conflicts & Terrorism, Tribunal Autonomy, and Stewardship, Sustainable Use & Development of Land and Resources. The panel sessions encourage participation of women and representatives from least developed countries to participate at the Congress.

Annual and Quadrennial Reports from the WJA

2012 Annual Review

2007-2010 UN Quadrennial Report

The World Jurist Newsletter (Vol.46/No.1) with UN related Updates