By Eric Kikomeko -updated at 1227 EAT on Wednesday 26th November 2025

New York, USA — Preparations are underway for the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), set to take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9 to 20 March 2026. The annual gathering is the UN’s largest global forum on gender equality and women’s rights, bringing together representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world.

Focus Themes for CSW70

This year’s session will examine two major themes central to advancing gender equality:

• Priority Theme: Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls.
  Discussions will explore ways to promote inclusive and equitable legal systems, repeal discriminatory laws and policies, and dismantle structural barriers that hinder women’s rights and justice.
• Review Theme: Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, and the elimination of violence against women and girls.
  This review will draw on the agreed conclusions from the Commission’s sixty-fifth session, assessing global progress and remaining challenges.

Bureau for the 70th Session

The Bureau, responsible for guiding preparations and ensuring the successful outcome of CSW70, consists of representatives elected from the UN’s regional groups. Bureau members serve two-year terms, a system strengthened by an ECOSOC decision in 2002 to allow continuity through early election of incoming officers.

The Bureau for CSW70 includes:

• H.E. Ms. Maritza Chan Valverde (Costa Rica) — Chair
  Latin American and Caribbean States Group
• Ms. Samah Dbouk (Lebanon) — Vice-Chair
  Asia and Pacific States Group
• Mr. Noah Oehri (Liechtenstein) — Vice-Chair
  Western European and Other States Group
• Ms. Andreea Mocanu (Romania) — Vice-Chair
  Eastern European States Group
• Ms. Flavia Umulisa (Rwanda) — Vice-Chair
  African States Group

Expected Outcomes

The central outcome of CSW70 will be a set of agreed conclusions negotiated by all UN Member States. These conclusions will outline global commitments and policy recommendations to advance justice, equality, and empowerment for women and girls in every region.

Civil society participation remains a cornerstone of the Commission’s work. Registration for NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC is currently open and will run from 3 October 2025 to 23 January 2026. NGOs play a vital role in shaping discussions, presenting recommendations, and amplifying grassroots perspectives at the global level.

Additional information and official documents related to the 70th session will be released by UN Women in the coming months.