Lok Bahadur Thapa, Nepal's permanent representative and ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in New York, has been elected as the president of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for its 2026-26 session.
Thapa was elected as president during a meeting held at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.
After being elected as president, Thapa expressed heartfelt gratitude to all member states for their trust and support in assigning Nepal to this significant role.
He described this as a historic moment for Nepal, stating that presiding over ECOSOC reflects Nepal’s commitment to multilateralism and its aspiration to contribute to building a fair, inclusive, and just world.
While assuming the presidency, Thapa highlighted that the multilateral system is facing declining trust due to the climate crisis, financial uncertainty, and deepening inequalities. He also noted that while technology presents opportunities, it also brings challenges, making ECOSOC’s role even more crucial at this time.
Thapa, who will lead the 2025–2026 session, stated that Nepal’s presidency will be guided by the principle of "Delivering Better."
The UN Economic and Social Council is a principal organ that fosters international cooperation and coordination on economic, social, cultural, educational, health, human rights, environmental, women’s empowerment, and development issues.
It works with member states, various UN bodies, specialized agencies, and civil society (such as NGOs) to achieve global development goals through policymaking, debates, consultations, research, and monitoring.
Ambassador Thapa arrived in New York two years ago as permanent representative to the UN. Prior to this, he successfully served as Nepal’s ambassador to Belgium and the European Union.
