WHAT IS THE NGO CSW FORUM?

NGO CSW/NY organizes the civil society side of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This provides civil society who might not be able to access the UN the opportunity to engage in the processes and CSW sessions.

Over the two weeks of the Forum, NGO CSW/NY organizes hundreds of events that inform, engage and inspire grassroots efforts and advocacy needed to empower women and girls.

Thank you to the thousands of feminists and women's rights advocates who joined the NGO CSW66 Forum!

The NGO CSW66 Forum is officially over, but our work is not done! See the recordings of our April, May, and June Monthly Meetings addressing the implementation of the CSW66 Agreed Conclusions.

The NGO CSW66 Forum Report is now available! Read the NGO CSW66 Forum Report for a recap of the Forum. Download the report to learn about the different aspects of the Forum, the planning process, outcomes, and how we plan to improve future NGO CSW Forums!

NGO CSW Forum FAQs

The NGO CSW Forum is the civil society side of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The Forum runs parallel to the official CSW session taking place at the UN Headquarters. This provides civil society the opportunity to engage in the processes and CSW sessions without ECOSOC-accreditation or a UN grounds pass (both of which are needed to attend the CSW).

Over the two weeks of the UN CSW, NGO CSW/NY organizes hundreds of events that inform, engage and inspire grassroots efforts and advocacy needed to empower women and girls. Some of the events that we host are Consultation Day, Orientation & Advocacy Training, Regional Caucuses, Conversation Circles, and Parallel Events organized by CSOs around the globe.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principle global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

During the two-week session, UN entities, Member States, and civil society discuss issues pertaining to women, girls, and gender equality. The Commission assesses progress and gaps in the implementation of global women's rights documents like the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), as well as issues happening on the regional, national, and local levels.

Each year, the Commission focuses on specific themes related to gender equality, known as the 'priority' and 'review' themes. The CSW66 themes are:

Priority theme: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes;

Review theme: Women's economic empowerment in the changing world of work (agreed conclusions of the sixty-first session)

For more information about the CSW, visit UN Women's website.

The NGO CSW Forum is totally separate from the official UN Commission on the Status of Women session. Below are some important distinctions between the two events.

NGO CSW Forum:

- Organized by NGO CSW/NY (a civil society organization)

- Civil society forum (not part of the formal UN system)

- Do not need to be ECOSOC-accredited to attend

- Has Parallel Events hosted by civil society

UN CSW:

- Organized by UN Women (a UN agency)

- Official United Nations Commission

- Must be ECOSOC-accredited to attend

- Has Side Events hosted by Member States, UN agencies, and ECOSOC-accredited NGOs

NGO CSW66 Forum Interactive Handbook

Download the Interactive Handbook for the Forum! The Handbook has everything you need to know about the Forum including the Parallel Events, NGO CSW/NY's events, Regional Consultation Days, and more. It also includes exclusive statements from the CSW66 Chair, the President of the General Assembly, and the Executive Director of UN Women. Check out the Handbook Ads from our sponsors at the end of the Handbook!

Watch the recordings of NGO CSW/NY's events during the Forum!

In addition to the over 750 Parallel Events, NGO CSW/NY hosted its own events during the Forum! We had an array of exciting events including Consultation Day, Conversation Circles, Regional Caucuses, Civil Society Briefings and more! See all of the recordings on our Youtube channel here.

ADVOCACY FOR NGO CSW

Read about the different ways NGO CSW and our members engage in advocacy leading up to and during the CSW!

NGO CSW Advocacy Research Group

The Advocacy Research Group (ARG) researches issues raised in the CSW priority theme with input from NGO CSWs in the Regions and civil society. Recommended language is provided to receptive government representatives in advance of negotiations for consideration and inclusion in their discussions, and to UN Women, the CSW Bureau and during opportunities for civil society input.

Advocacy Training Guide

Download the Advocacy Training in Negotiations and Women's Human Rights Guide to learn about how to be effective partners in UN negotiations about women’s human rights.

The Guide is available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian.

UN Advocacy Guide App

Download the UN Advocacy Guide app for the tools and knowledge you need to advocate at the UN. It is a training, educational tool and quick reference. The case study is the UN Commission on the Status of Women that oversees the implementation of gender equality and women's human rights policies in 193 countries. Available for Apple and Android devices.

Women's Human Rights Teaching, Learning & Advocacy Resource

The Women's Human Rights Teaching, Learning, and Advocacy Resource (WHRTLAR) is a user friendly resource for educators and activists comprised of learning modules organized around six themes dealing with the most pressing challenges to women’s human rights today. The goal was to create learning products from an incubation process led by scholars and activists at the UN.

NGO CSW Forum Testimonials

  • It was an incredible experience and I loved connecting with women and NGOs around the world, and learning about their challenges and successes.

STATS & FUN FACTS

200,000

VISITS to the Forum Portal

106

COUNTRIES

5000+

ORGANIZATIONS

750+

EVENTS
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