Source description last updated: 28 October 2020

In brief: The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) promoting women’s rights.

Coverage on ecoi.net:

Official Documents for countries of priorities A-D.

Covered quarterly on ecoi.net.

Mission/Mandate/Objectives:

“The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. [...] The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. [...] In 1996, ECOSOC in resolution 1996/6 [...] expanded the Commission’s mandate and decided that it should take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and in mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities.” (UN Women website: Commission on the Status of Women, undated)

Funding:

UN budget.

Scope of reporting:

Geographic focus: UN member states

Thematic focus: Rights of women

Methodology:

“[...] oral statements may be delivered during the general discussion by a limited number of NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC. [...] NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) may submit written statements on the thematic issues considered by CSW [...].” (UN Women website: Commission on the Status of Women, Written and Oral Statements, undated)

“Any individual, non-governmental organization, group or network may submit communications (complaints/appeals/petitions) to the Commission on the Status of Women containing information relating to alleged violations of human rights that affect the status of women in any country in the world. The Commission on the Status of Women considers such communications as part of its annual programme of work [...]” (UN Women website: Commission on the Status of Women, Communications Procedure, undated)

“During the Commission’s annual two-week session, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities gather at UN headquarters in New York. They discuss progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the key global policy document on gender equality, and the 23rd special session of the General Assembly held in 2000 (Beijing +5), as well as emerging issues that affect gender equality and the empowerment of women. Member States agree on further actions to accelerate progress and promote women’s enjoyment of their rights in political, economic and social fields. The outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to ECOSOC for follow-up. [...] The Commission adopts multi-year programmes of work to appraise progress and make further recommendations to accelerate the implementation of the Platform for Action. These recommendations take the form of negotiated agreed conclusions on a priority theme.” (UN Women website: Commission on the Status of Women, undated)

“Agreed conclusions contain an analysis of the priority theme and a set of concrete recommendations for governments, intergovernmental bodies and other institutions, civil society actors and other relevant stakeholders [...].” (UN Women website: Commission on the Status of Women, Outcomes, undated)

“Under its current methods of work, established by ECOSOC resolution 2015/6, at each session the Commission:

  • Convenes a ministerial segment to reaffirm and strengthen political commitment to the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as well as their human rights, and to ensure high-level engagement and the visibility of the deliberations of the Commission [...];
  • Engages in general discussion on the status of gender equality, identifying goals attained, achievements made, and efforts under way to close gaps and meet challenges;
  • Convenes interactive expert panel discussions and other interactive dialogues on steps and initiatives to accelerate implementation and measures to build capacities for mainstreaming gender equality across policies and programmes;
  • Considers one priority theme, based on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly and linkages to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
  • Evaluates progress in implementing agreed conclusions from previous sessions as a review theme;
  • Discusses emerging issues, trends, focus areas, and new approaches to questions affecting the situation of women, including equality between women and men, that require timely consideration;
  • Considers in closed meeting [sic!] the report of its Working Group on Communications;
  • Agrees on further actions for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women by adopting agreed conclusions and resolutions;
  • Contributes gender perspectives to the work of other intergovernmental bodies and processes;
  • Reports on the aspects relating to gender equality and the empowerment of women of the agreed main theme of the Economic and Social Council, in order to contribute to its work; and
  • Celebrates International Women’s Day on 8 March, when it falls within its session. (UN Women website: Commission on the Status of Women, undated)

The Commission on the Status of Women is supported by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in all aspects of its work.

Languages of publications:

English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese

Further reading / links:

Short History of the Commission on the Status of Women, undated
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/CSW60YRS/CSWbriefhistory.pdf

Resolutions and Decisions of the Economic and Social Council [E/1996/96], 1997
http://undocs.org/e/1996/96

Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing Declaration, undated
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/beijingdeclaration.html

Fourth World Conference on Women, Platform for Action, undated
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/

Future organization and methods of work of the Commission on the Status of Women [2006/9], 2006
http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2006/resolution%202006-9.pdf

Future organization and methods of work of the Commission on the Status of Women [2009/15], 2009
http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2009/resolution%202009-15.pdf

Five-year Review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing + 5) held in the General Assembly, 5-9 June 2000, undated
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup/beijing+5.htm

Jain, Devaki. Women, Development, and the UN: A Sixty Year Quest for Equality and Justice. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005.


All links accessed 28 October 2020.