The European Union extends its sincere appreciation to Ambassador Bob Rae of Canada for his dedicated leadership and unwavering commitment as President of ECOSOC over the past year. His stewardship has helped guide the Council through a period marked by complex global challenges, including by following up on the commitment in the Pact for the Future to turbo-charge the SDGs. 

As ECOSOC embarks on a new cycle, we warmly welcome Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa of Nepal as the incoming President of ECOSOC. We look forward to working closely with him and the Bureau to advance the Council’s agenda – from the review of ECOSOC and the High-Level Political Forum, to the implementation of and follow-up to major UN conferences and summits, such as the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. We also stand ready to support ECOSOC’s critical contributions to the UN80 initiative. 

We are confident that under Nepal’s presidency, ECOSOC will continue to serve as a vital platform for advancing sustainable development and multilateral dialogue. Thank you.