By Dide G11

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six main organs of the United Nations and is responsible for coordinating the economic, social, and related work of fifteen specialised agencies, nine functional commissions, and five regional commissions. ECOSOC plays a central role in tackling various global issues including poverty and inequality, health and education, environmental sustainability, human rights and social development. The chairs of ECOSOC are Mattia Crisanto and Ritik Singhal. 

During the interview, Ritik emphasised that because “we have a lot of new delegates, … our key role will most likely consist of guiding the newer delegates and making sure that the delegates are comfortable enough to speak up.’’.

When asked about what role ECOSOC plays in bridging the gap between economic growth and social development in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the chairs explained how the issues discussed in ECOSOC relate to SDGs such as access to education, healthcare, social equality, equal pay, and gender equality, and help the delegates reflect on these issues.

In regards to their leadership approach, both chairs further explained the importance of supporting newer delegates in the right manner. ‘‘We try to approach them in a way which does not impose the idea that we are superior to them’’ Ritik commented. They agreed that chairing a council with many newer delegates comes with the added challenge of leading the council dynamic and teaching the delegates parliamentary procedure during the debate. 

Despite having a rocky start due to a last minute topic change, Mattia and Ritik look forward to guiding fruitful debate in ECOSOC at this year’s BaMUN conference.