For the first time since independence, Macedonia has been elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), with 174 votes at the vote in New York. The country will sit on this key UN body in the 2027-2029 period. A diplomatic win that, on paper, looks impressive - 174 votes is no small number.

ECOSOC is one of the six main UN bodies and plays a coordinating role in economic, social, development and humanitarian policy within the UN system. Through its membership, Macedonia will take part in discussions on sustainable development, social justice, economic cooperation, human rights, gender equality, education and health. The seat is real - the question is what will be done with it.

The Foreign Ministry stresses that membership will let the country take a more active part in global debates and will strengthen its international credibility. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski described the election as „recognition of the efforts invested in foreign policy and the trust Macedonia is building with international partners.”

The election follows recent membership in the UN Human Rights Council (2025-2027) and the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. A string of seats in international bodies - a nice collection. But a diplomatic win is worth exactly as much as it translates into concrete benefit for citizens. A seat in New York is the easy part; making it mean something for the person living in Macedonia is what still has to be proven.