2nd plenary meeting - Commission on the Status of Women, Seventieth session

Women’s Commission annual session begins with contentious recorded vote to adopt outcome document, calls to end backlash against gender equality.

• Categories: Meetings & Events
• Video Length: 02:59:14
• Production Date: 9 March 2026
• Asset Language: Arabic; English; French; Russian; Spanish; Chinese; Original
• Personal Subject: ANTONIO GUTERRES; ANNALENA BAERBOCK
• Corporate Name: COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN - CSW; UNITED NATIONS ENTITY FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN - UN-WOMEN
• Subject Topical: GENDER EQUALITY; JUSTICE; WOMEN; WOMEN'S RIGHTS; GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE; DISCRIMINATION
• MAMS Id: 3542766
• Parent Id: 3541764
• Alternate Title: MTG CSW 70 SESSION 02 PLENARY 09 MAR 2026 AM

Description

The General Assembly hall filled with feminists from around the world as the Commission on the Status of Women began its annual two-week gathering with a contentious recorded vote to adopt its outcome document.

By a recorded vote of 37 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 6 abstentions, the Commission adopted its Agreed Conclusions (document E/CN.6/2026/L.2), a document that has traditionally been adopted by consensus. This year’s Conclusions pertains to the theme of this seventieth session: “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices, and addressing structural barriers”.

Election of officers
Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters
Ministerial segment

• Opening statements
• Introduction of reports
• Adoption of the draft agreed conclusions
• General discussion

Priority theme: Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers

Review theme: Women's full and effective participation and decision making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (agreed conclusions of the sixty-fifth session)

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. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by Council resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946.

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.

• Secretary-General of the United Nations
• ECOSOC
• President of the General Assembly
• Civil Society
• Civil Society
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls
• The Republic of the Philippines
• The Republic of Guatemala
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Kyrgyzstan (on behalf of the Landlocked Developing Countries)
• Kyrgyzstan
• Slovakia
• Republic of Moldova
• Solomon Islands (on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum Group)
• Dominican Republic (on behalf of the Council of Ministers of Women of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMMCA))
• Gambia (on behalf of the African Group)
• Belgium (on behalf of Belgium, Mexico and Sierra Leone)
• Azerbaijan (also on behalf of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan)
• South Africa (on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC))
• France (on behalf of Joint Statement on the Participation of Women in All Decision-Making Systems)
• Jordan
• Liechtenstein
• Türkiye

Related Sites and Documents

UN Meetings Coverage

Proposed Organization of Work

CSW70 (2026) Website