Brasília, 1/17/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The head of the Secretariat of Economic and Social Development, Tarso Genro, reports that the Council of Economic and Social Development will have its first meeting on February 13 at the Palácio do Planalto. Genro announced that he and president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva drew up the agenda for the meeting and that the first issue to be dealt with is Social Security reform.

The council has 82 members who will take office on February 13. According to Genro, council decisions must be approved by a majority. (AB)