About The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, or DE SA, helps countries around the world meet their economic, social and environmental challenges. It operates within a framework of internationally agreed upon goals known as the UN development agenda: a shared vision of human progress rooted in the values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature and mutual responsibility.

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United Nations
A pillar for
Promoting
social and
economic
development
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Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Published at the United Nations / 09-25031—July 2009—5,500
For more information
United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Room DC2-2310
New York, NY 10017
USA
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.un.org/esa/desa
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United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
DESA in the UN system
DESA is part of the UN Secretariat, which is funded through
regular assessed contributions from Member States. The
Department was reorganized into its present form in 1997
and is headed by Sha Zukang. As Under-Secretary-General for
Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Sha manages the Department,
advises the Secretary-General on social, economic and sustainable
development, and nurtures key partnerships with governments, UN
agencies and civil society organizations. The Under-Secretary-
General also convenes the Executive Committee on Economic
and Social Affairs, the UN Secretariat’s network for joint
planning and initiatives on development.
In directing and managing DESA, the Under-Secretary-General
is supported by the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic
Development, the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy
Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, and the Assistant
Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General
on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women.
Within the framework of the UN development agenda, each
division within DESA performs a critical function in promoting
development for all.
Forging global consensus
By organizing global conferences and summits (mandated
by UN Member States), DESA has helped countries find com-
mon ground and elaborate plans of action on issues including
sustainable development, population, gender equality, social
development, financing for development and other key areas
of concern. Together, these conferences have given shape to
development strategies for achieving better standards of living
in larger freedom – as envisioned by the UN Charter.
At the 2005 World Summit, global leaders agreed to strengthen
the role of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as the
principal UN body for development cooperation and dialogue
on economic and social issues. An Annual Ministerial Review
of development policy and a multi-stakeholder Development
Cooperation Forum were established.
DESA serves as the secretariat to ECOSOC and its subsidiary
bodies, and supports their deliberations and consensus-building.
This demands high-level engagement on many global devel-
opment issues and consultation with UN system organizations,
the private sector and civil society.
Over the last decade, consensus-building has become far more
inclusive through increased participation by civil society organi-
zations in UN deliberations. Facilitated by DESA’s outreach, a
large number of accredited civil society representatives now
attend ECOSOC sessions as well as its functional commissions
and forums each year.
Promoting development
for all
The United Nations Department of Economic and
Social Affairs, or DESA, helps countries around the
world meet their economic, social and environ -
mental challenges. It operates within a framework
of internationally agreed upon goals known as the UN
development agenda: a shared vision of human progress
rooted in the values of freedom, equality, solidarity,
tolerance, respect for nature and mutual responsibility.
The UN development agenda emerged over the
last two decades from the work of United Nations
conferences and summits. It represents an unprece- dented global consensus on a comprehensive set of
issues ranging from poverty reduction, health and women’s
empowerment to governance, finance and the environment. Advances in these and other areas are being measured through the Millennium Development Goals, an integral part of the UN development agenda. In addition, the agenda
– and DESA – address systemic issues affecting people’s lives
and livelihoods. These include the impact of globalization,
inequalities among and within countries, the participation
of developing countries in global economic governance,
global crises, including climate change, and the relationship
between development and conflict.
DESA’s mission, to promote development for all,
especially the most vulnerable, reflects a fundamental concern for equity and equality in countries large
and small, developed and developing. It underscores
the need for all stakeholders – governments, UN and other
international organizations, civil society and the private
sector – to do their part to improve economic and social
well-being. This focus on equitable participation by all peo-
ple and nations is what makes the United Nations unique
and gives the development agenda its universal legitimacy.
Development for all neither begins nor ends with the
adoption of global agreements. Rather, it progresses in
five stages. First, the international community must identify
the most pressing global concerns and assess policy options
to address them. Second, through dialogue among stake-
holders, consensus is built on goals, guiding principles
and solutions. Third, countries commit to specific courses
of action, which include time-bound targets. Fourth,
commitments are translated into action at global, regional,
country and local levels. Fifth, progress is monitored and
evaluated, so that priorities, policies and actions can be
realigned to overcome any obstacles. DESA supports all of
these actions, as described on the following pages.

2. Conducting cutting-
edge research
DESA’s professional staff research a wide range of economic,
social and environmental issues, identifying trends and analysing
policy options. These studies are essential to UN negotiations
and guide global technical cooperation efforts. Each year, some
300 documents and 300 publications are distributed in print
and electronic formats around the world.
DESA’s analytical activities include assessments of the world
economic and social situation, which have been a mainstay
of the global dialogue on development since the 1940s. In
producing its surveys, DESA also draws on experts in universities,
private research organizations, government agencies and
central banks throughout the world.
Moreover, DESA plays a central role in monitoring and imple-
menting global commitments to economic and social progress,
including the Millennium Development Goals. National reports
on sustainable development, social development, gender
equality and the empowerment of women, population and
forests are synthesized with data and analyses to review
advances on many fronts, including financing for development,
energy, water and sanitation, consumption and production and
public administration.
DESA produces authoritative population estimates and projections
that are used the world over. DESA also oversees the global
statistical system, providing a basis for informed evaluation
and design of strategies for achieving development goals.

1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2008
World Summit for Children
World Conference on
Education for All
Second UN Conference
on the Least Developed
Countries
United Nations
Conference on
Environment and
Development
International
Conference on Nutrition
World Conference
on Human Rights
International Conference
on Population and
Development
Global Conference on the
Sustainable Development
of Small Island Developing
States
Fourth World
Conference
on Women
World Summit for
Social Development
Second UN
Conference on
Human Settlements
(HABITAT II)
World Food Summit
Millennium Summit
World Education Forum
Social Summit +5
Special Session of the
General Assembly for
the 5 year review of
the Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action
Third UN Conference on the
Least Developed Countries
Special Session of the GA
for an overall review and ap-
praisal of the implementation
of the Habitat Agenda
Special Session of the General
Assembly on HIV/AIDS
International Conference on
Financing for Development
World Summit on Sustainable
Development
Second World Assembly on
Ageing
Special Session of the General
Assembly on Children
World Food Summit +5
International Ministerial
Conference of Landlocked
and Transit Developing
Countries
World Summit on the
Information Society
10-year Review
of the Barbados
Programme of Action
2005 World Summit
10-year Review of the
Copenhagen Declaration
and Programme of Action
10-year Review of the
Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action
Follow-up International
Conference on Financing
for Development
to Review the
Implementation of the
Monterrey Consensus
High-level event on the
Millennium Development
Goals
Timeline of major conferences and summits since 1990
Translating global
commitments into national action
For more than 50 years, DESA and its predecessors have
been providing interregional technical assistance to
countries seeking specialized development expertise.
DESA also manages the Development Account, a fund
established by the General Assembly to help countries
meet their development challenges. The Department’s
approach emphasizes sustained capacity development.
DESA is based in New York, but collaborates closely with
UN and other development partners at regional and
country levels in formulating and implementing national
development strategies.

ECOSOC support and coordination
www.un.org/esa/coordination/desc.htm
The Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination assists the
General Assembly and Economic and Social Council in reaching
consensus on global development issues. It does so by facili-
tating negotiations among Member States based on substan-
tive support from DESA and the entire UN system. The Office
advises on follow-up to the UN development agenda and
actively engages UN agencies, including the international
financial and trade institutions, in charting common courses of
action. Reaching out to civil society is an important aspect of the
Office’s work. Hundreds of non-governmental organizations
apply for official consultative status with the UN each year.
Advancement of women
www.un.org/womenwatch/daw
Grounded in the vision of equality laid out in the United
Nations Charter, the Division for the Advancement of Women
advocates for the equality of women with men throughout
the world– as equal actors and beneficiaries in sustainable
development and in the search for human rights and peace and
security. The Division works to advance the global agenda on
gender equality and empowerment of women in close coor-
dination with governments, the UN system and civil society. It
also seeks to ensure that women’s rights and priorities are fully
addressed in international policy arenas. The Division serves as
the substantive secretariat to the Commission on the Status of
Women and supports follow-up to the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action.
Development policy analysis www.un.org/esa/policy
The Development Policy and Analysis Division is the main
development research unit of the United Nations. Its aim is to
provide the analytical basis for strengthening international
development cooperation and fostering effective integration
of all countries into the world economy. Monitoring the global
economic and social situation, promoting macroeconomic
policy coordination, and analysing development trends to
improve implementation of the UN development agenda are
among its core functions.
Public administration www.unpan.org/dpag
The Division for Public Administration and Development
Management assists countries in building public institutions
and government capacity to promote sustainable development,
advance public sector reform and improve service delivery. The
Division’s training and capacity-building activities promote
citizen-oriented, efficient and effective government, based on
the principles of transparency, accountability and civic partici-
pation. The Division stresses innovative approaches to public
management, in particular through e-government and expansion
of the information society.
Sustainable forest management
www.un.org/esa/forests
The Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests promotes sustainable
forest management based on the goals and commitments of
Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration, Statement of Forest Principles,
Global Objectives on Forests, and the Non-legally Binding
Instrument on All Types of Forests. The Secretariat prepares
technical reports, supports policy discussions on forest issues,
and is the UN focal point on all matters relating to forest policy.
It also serves as the secretariat for the Collaborative Partnership
on Forests, a network of international organizations commit-
ted to the adoption of sustainable practices in global forest
management.
Financing for development www.un.org/esa/ffd
The Financing for Development Office provides secretariat
support for sustained follow-up, at all levels, to the agreements
and commitments contained in the Monterrey Consensus and
Doha Declaration. To this end, it promotes an inclusive inter-
governmental process, with the participation of all relevant
stakeholders, to address, in a coherent and integrated manner,
such areas as domestic resource mobilization, private investment
flows, international trade, official development assistance,
external debt and global financial and economic system and
architecture.
Social development www.un.org/esa/socdev
The Division for Social Policy and Development promotes
awareness and understanding of the core social issues of poverty
eradication, employment generation and social integration. The
Division assists governments and civil society organizations in
formulating social policies that foster more secure, just, free and
harmonious societies: societies in which all members – young
and old, rich and poor, persons with disabilities and indigenous
peoples alike – are active participants. The Division serves as
the secretariat of the Commission for Social Development, the
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Sustainable development www.un.org/esa/sustdev
The Division for Sustainable Development is an authoritative
source of expertise within the UN system on development that
recognizes the rights of current and future generations. As sec-
retariat to the Commission on Sustainable Development, the
Division promotes sustainable development through inclusive
forms of participation and partnership, as well as through tech-
nical cooperation and capacity-building. The Division advances
implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation, along with the Barbados Programme of Action
and the Mauritius Strategy for the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States.
Statistics unstats.un.org
The Statistics Division is committed to the advancement of the
global statistical system. It serves as the secretariat to the UN
Statistical Commission, coordinates global statistical activities,
compiles and disseminates statistical information, develops methodological standards and norms, and supports national statistical systems. The Division facilitates the access to UN
statistical resources covering a wide range of economic, social, demographic, environmental and geographic data sources
which are available on-line free of charge through UNdata.
Population www.un.org/esa/population
The Population Division studies population dynamics and moni-
tors worldwide demographic trends. Population estimates and
projections prepared by the Division – on matters such as fertil-
ity, mortality, migration and urbanization, as well as population
size and structure – are widely used for policy formulation and
programme design. In its role as substantive secretariat for the
Commission on Population and Development, the Division mon-
itors implementation of the Programme of Action of the 1994
International Conference on Population and Development. The
Division also develops demographic tools for governments.