The UNDESA Database on Economic and Social Councils (ESCs) and similar institutions
contains a per-country Global Directory of institutions and other bodies
or arrangements within the government structure that directly or indirectly
provide for civil society organizations to engage in policy dialogue.
The Database includes only national economic and social councils and
other similar institutions that address the processes of macro-economic
policy making. Though the primary focus of most ESCs are on economic and
labour policies, these issues are often mainstreamed along with social,
environmental and other issues relating to poverty reduction.
Stemming from its work on participatory governance, the Division of Public
Administration and Development Management (DPADM) of the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) has taken a particular
interest in the significance of ESCs as multi-stakeholder consultative
bodies that promote civic engagement in macro-economic policy making,
and their unique feature of bringing the concerns and views of civil society
organizations, private sector, trade unions, non-governmental organizations
and academics into the policy deliberations.
This Global Directory is the initial phase of what the Division plans
to expand into a wider body of research that will showcase strategies
and best practices that have been instrumental in fostering broad civic
participation in public policies. Each Global Directory entry contains
contact details and a general description of the mandate, structure, and
work of the Council. The directory will be continuously updated, and more
detailed country profiles will be added in the future.
Please see the Methodology
of the database, including a background note on the Division's work on
ESCs.
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