The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the United Nations body in charge of preparing social, economic, cultural, educational and health reports, and in turn, represents a support to coordinate the work of the General Assembly in matters within its competence , as well as coordinating the funds, agencies and programs developed by the United Nations. The ECOSOC is one of the internal organs of the United Nations, it arises with the signing of the Charter of San Francisco or Charter of the United Nations.

In this sense, the aforementioned Charter prescribes the following: 

Article 61

The Economic and Social Council shall be composed of fifty-four Members of the United Nations elected by the General Assembly. Except as prescribed in paragraph 3, eighteen members of the Economic and Social Council shall be elected each year for a period of three years. The outgoing members will be re-eligible for the subsequent term. At the first election held after the number of members of the Economic and Social Council has been increased from twenty-seven to fifty-four, in addition to the members elected to replace the nine members whose mandate expires at the end of that year, they will elect twenty-seven more members. The mandate of nine of these twenty-seven additional members so elected will expire after one year and that of another nine members after two years, in accordance with the provisions issued by the General Assembly. Each member of the Economic and Social Council shall have one representative.

Article 62 

1. The Economic and Social Council may make or initiate studies and reports regarding international matters of an economic, social, cultural, educational and health nature, and other related matters, and make recommendations on such matters to the General Assembly, to the Members of the United Nations and the specialized agencies concerned. 

2. The Economic and Social Council may make recommendations in order to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, and the effectiveness of such rights and freedoms. 

3. The Economic and Social Council may formulate draft conventions on matters within its competence to submit them to the General Assembly. 

4. The Economic and Social Council may convene, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Organization, international conferences on matters within its competence.

Article 63

1. The Economic and Social Council may conclude with any of the specialized organizations referred to in Article 57, agreements by means of which the conditions under which said organizations shall be linked with the Organization are established. Such agreements will be subject to the approval of the General Assembly.

2. The Economic and Social Council may coordinate the activities of the specialized agencies through consultations with them and by making recommendations to them, as well as through recommendations to the General Assembly and the Members of the United Nations.

Article 64

1. The Economic and Social Council may take the appropriate measures to obtain periodic reports from the specialized agencies. It may also make arrangements with the Members of the United Nations and with the specialized agencies to obtain reports on the measures taken to give effect to its own recommendations and those made by the General Assembly on matters within the competence of the Council.

2. The Economic and Social Council may communicate to the General Assembly its observations on said reports. 

Article 65

The Economic and Social Council may provide information to the Security Council and shall give it the assistance that it requests.

Article 66

1. The Economic and Social Council shall carry out the functions that fall within its competence in relation to the fulfillment of the recommendations of the General Assembly.

2. The Economic and Social Council may provide, with the approval of the General Assembly, the services requested by the Members of the United Nations and the specialized agencies.

3. The Economic and Social Council shall carry out the other functions prescribed in other parts of this Charter or as assigned by the General Assembly.

Article 67

1. Each member of the Economic and Social Council shall have one vote.

2. The decisions of the Economic and Social Council shall be taken by a majority of the members present and voting.

Article 68

The Economic and Social Council shall establish commissions for the economic and social order and for the promotion of human rights, as well as the other commissions necessary for the performance of its functions.

Article 69

The Economic and Social Council shall invite any Member of the United Nations to participate, without the right to vote, in its deliberations on any matter of particular interest to that Member.    

Article 70

The Economic and Social Council may make arrangements for representatives of the specialized agencies to participate, without the right to vote, in its deliberations and in those of the commissions it establishes, and for its own representatives to participate in the deliberations of those agencies.  

Article 71

The Economic and Social Council may make appropriate arrangements for consultations with non-governmental organizations dealing with matters within the competence of the Council. Said arrangements may be made with international organizations and, if applicable, with national organizations, after consultation with the respective Member of the United Nations.  

Article 72 

1. The Economic and Social Council shall dictate its own regulations, which shall establish the method of electing its President. 

2. The Economic and Social Council will meet when necessary in accordance with its regulations, which will include provisions for convening sessions when requested by a majority of its members.