The Second Committee is one of the Six Committees of the United Nations General Assembly. It mainly deals with Economic and financial matters. It handles economic issues related to international institutions such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organisation (ILO), etc.
The agenda items for the Second Committee are mainly divided into 14 major agenda items with several sub-items. They cover a broad range of issues including, inter alia, macroeconomic issues, sectoral policy questions; international cooperation; environment and sustainable development; operational activities; globalisation and interdependence; special group of countries such as Least Developed Countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs and small island developing states (SIDS); operational activities for development; and follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development. These items change slightly in every session of the United Nations General Assembly due to the fact that some items are discussed annually, biannually and triennially.
Currently, the Committee focuses its discussion on the implementation of and follow up to the outcomes of the major UN Conferences and Summits of the 1990s and 2000s in the economic and social fields which include the International Conference on Population and Development, the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, the Doha Ministerial Conference, the International Conferences on Financing for Development, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. This follows the completion and adoption of the work of the Open-ended ad hoc Working Group on the General Assembly on the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields in 2003.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL (ECOSOC)
The Committee also deals with economic issues of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Council coordinates the economic, social, and related work of the UN and the specialised agencies and institutions- known as the UN family of organisations. The Council is covered by the schedule officers from both the Second and Third Committees. The Council holds several short sessions throughout the year to deal with the organisation of its work, as well as one four-week substantive session in July, alternatively between New York and Geneva. The substantive session discusses major economic, social and humanitarian issues.
ECOSOC has subsidiary bodies that include nine functional commissions, five regional commissions, and five standing Committees and expert bodies, among others. Under the functional commissions, the Second Committee deals with Statistical Commission, Commission on Population and Development, Commission on Science and Technology for Development and Commission on Sustainable Development.
Tanzania has only one officer who covers all these issues which makes it impossible for the officer to be efficient, effective and focused. The officer instead is forced to deal with these issues selectively.