The Economic and Social Council and The New International Economic Order

Abstract

Among the conspicuous innovations introduced into the international system by the United Nations Charter, as compared with the League of Nations Covenant, is no doubt the set of provisions related to international economic cooperation. When the San Francisco Conference convened in 1945, proposals in the field of economics were rather modest. Essentially based on the Bruce Committee report from the League, the draft proposed something already called the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). But in fact this was not much more than a small coordinating body for economic and social matters subordinate to the General Assembly.1 This was already considered quite an accomplishment, given initial opposition to US proposals for strengthened economic and social machinery by the United Kingdom. The UK felt that the Security Council should have responsibility for economic matters. Ironically the Soviet Union also criticised the idea that the new organisation would deal with economic matters. The smaller powers at San Francisco pressed both for a strengthening of Charter provisions on ECOSOC’s competence and for making ECOSOC a principal organ. On both scores they were successful. An Australian proposal that ECOSOC should function continually at UN headquarters, with permanent representatives, was, however, not accepted.