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:
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.