UNITED NATIONS - Bulgaria's UN Ambassador Lachezara Stoeva became the new president of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Monday, vowing to transform the world into "a better place for the people of today and tomorrow."

In her opening statement, Stoeva said that she was "honored and humbled" to have been elected to lead one of the UN principal organs, deeming the upcoming session "especially challenging for the world."

As ECOSOC president, she said her first priority was to ensure that the council provides "solid, evidence-based, innovative and actionable policy guidance" to curb and address the pandemic's impacts on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Stoeva assumed her duties as Bulgaria's permanent representative to the United Nations in February last year and has served as ECOSOC vice-president responsible for the management segment.

ECOSOC is the coordinating body for the economic and social work of UN agencies and funds. Its presidency rotates every year between five geographical groups.