Pretoria - South Africa's election to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (Ecosoc) comes at a significant time, deputy minister of international relations and cooperation Ebrahim Ebrahim said in Pretoria on Tuesday.
"It is significant that South Africa will be a member of this critical organ of the United Nations at the time that the target date for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is fast approaching - 2015."
South Africa was elected by the members of the UN General Assembly to the 47-member Ecosoc on November 8. It is one of the principal organs of the United Nations alongside the Security Council and General Assembly.
Ecosoc is responsible for economic and social development matters of the world and has a charter mandate to drive the development agenda of the United Nations, Ebrahim said.
When South Africa finishes its two-year non-renewable, non-permanent membership of the Security Council on December 31, it would immediately assume the Ecosoc membership on January 1 next year.
South Africa last served on Ecosoc from 2004 to 2006.