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Rest of WorldNews > Freeplay Energy exhibiting at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Innovation Fair – Geneva, Switzerland
Last month, Freeplay Energy was invited by the UN to exhibit its products at the ECOSOC Innovation Fair in Geneva. The event was held from 2-5 July 2007.
The theme of this year’s Innovation Fair was “Innovation and Transformation for the Eradication of Poverty and Hunger”. Freeplay was one of only a handful of private sector exhibitors invited to the event. “It is a great honour for us to have been invited here”, said Sameer Hajee, Freeplay’s head of Aid and Development. “It highlights to us the prominence that we are attaining with respect to the work that we do in the developing world”.
Over the 3 days, national cabinet ministers, chiefs of international agencies and other high officials discussed major economic, social and environmental policy issues. “The opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with such a high caliber audience really helps to further our understanding of whether or not what we are doing in the developing world is hitting the mark insofar as our social objective which is to address the energy needs of the rural poor,” says Hajee.
Background on ECOSOC
The ECOSOC’s 54 member Governments are elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are allotted based on geographical representation with fourteen allocated to African States, eleven to Asian States, six to Eastern European States, ten to Latin American and Caribbean States, and thirteen to Western European and other States.
The mandate of the ECOSOC includes making or initiating studies and reports with respect to international economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related matters and making recommendations with respect to any such matters to the General Assembly to the Members of the United Nations, and to the specialized agencies concerned.
The Council holds several short sessions and many preparatory meetings, round tables and panel discussions with the members of civil society throughout the year, to deal with the organization of its work.