India elected to four key U.N. bodies

United Nations : India has been elected to four key subsidiary bodies of the United Nations’ agency on economic and social issues, continuing its impressive record of winning elections at the world body.

India was elected by acclamation, a form of election that does not use a ballot, to the subsidiary bodies of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) during its coordination and management meeting on Wednesday. With the election wins, India maintained its 100 per cent record of winning elections held in the United Nations Headquarters here.

It was elected, along with 13 other nations, to the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for a three-year term beginning January 2016.

UNICEF addresses the needs of children with emphasis on giving long-term benefits to children everywhere, particularly those in developing countries.

India was also re-elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme for the 2016-2018 term along with five other nations. WFP is the food



assistance arm of the UN which provides food assistance to around 90 million people in 80 countries in a year.

It was among the 20 nations to be elected to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) for a three-year term, beginning January 2016. Apart from India, other nations elected to CCPCJ include Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Austria, France, Sweden and the United States.

The CCPCJ provides policy guidance to UN Member States on crime prevention and criminal justice and develop, monitor and review implementation of the UN crime prevention programme.

India also got re-elected to the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for the term 2016-2019. UN-Habitat is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

The Council elected a total of 14 members for a four-year term, beginning January 2016 for UN-Habitat.