United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
AbbreviationUN DESA
Formation1948; 76 years ago (1948)
TypeDepartment
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersNew York City, New York, U.S.
Head
Li Junhua since 2022
 China
Websitewww.un.org/development/desa/en/ Edit this at Wikidata

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is responsible for the follow-up to major United Nations Summits and Conferences, as well as services to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Second and Third Committees of the United Nations General Assembly.[1] UN DESA assists countries around the world in agenda-setting and decision-making with the goal of meeting their economic, social and environmental challenges. It supports international cooperation to promote sustainable development for all, having as a foundation the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as adopted by the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2015. In providing a broad range of analytical products, policy advice, and technical assistance, UN DESA effectively translates global commitments in the economic, social and environmental spheres into national policies and actions and continues to play a key role in monitoring progress towards internationally agreed-upon development goals. It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group.[2] Since 2007, leadership positions in UN DESA have been held by representatives from the People's Republic of China.[3] UN DESA has been used to promote China's Belt and Road Initiative.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ "About Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General". Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  2. ^ "UNDG Members". UNDG. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  3. ^ a b Lynch, Colum (10 May 2018). "China Enlists U.N. to Promote Its Belt and Road Project". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  4. ^ Cheng-Chia, Tung; Yang, Alan H. (9 April 2020). "How China Is Remaking the UN In Its Own Image". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  5. ^ Zhenmin, Liu (18 April 2020). "Statement High Level Symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative and 2030 Agenda | Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin – United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs". United Nations. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.