In December 2018, ECOSOC elected former Indian diplomat Preeti Saran unopposed to the Asia Pacific seat on the 18-member Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), which monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). She received 188 votes in the 193-member UN General Assembly — the highest among all contestants — and later became the first Indian to serve as Chair of CESCR.