The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), consisting of 54 Member States that are elected for a three-year term, is the main organ and forum of the United Nations system to discuss, formulate and coordinate international development policies. Through the recently established mechanism of the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), ECOSOC focuses its work each year on one or on a set of related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 2010 AMR will explore the key challenges in achieving the international goals and commitments in the areas of gender equality and the empowerment of women (MDG3).