Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Lauro Baja Jr. was unanimously elected as vice president of the 54-member Council while Lithuania’s Ambassador Dalius Cekuolis was elected president.
Last October, the Philippines topped the elections for the ECOSOC membership, the first time it achieved such a distinction in an election to a major organ of the UN.
"Our election is a great leap of confidence considering that this is the first year of the Philippines in ECOSOC after a hiatus of more than 10 years," Baja said.
The last time the Philippines sat as a member of the ECOSOC was in 1992-1997.
According to Baja, the Philippines will represent Asia in the Bureau of the Council, which unlike bureaus of other organs, runs the multifaceted, year-long activities of the Council.
The 54-member ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations system.