Of the 6,469 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with consultative status at the United Nations, only 132 have General Consultative Status, the highest status an NGO can have at the UN. Zonta International was granted General Consultative Status in 1969.
As an NGO with General Consultative Status, Zonta International is invited to participate in the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York.
What is CSW?
The CSW is the largest annual gathering on women’s rights worldwide, and 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.
- A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
- This commission is essential in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives globally, and shaping standards on gender equality.
- Established by resolution on 21 June 1946 to monitor and promote women’s rights and develop global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women; mandate expanded in 1996 to include monitoring and reviewing progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
What happens at CSW?
During the Commission’s annual two-week session, thousands of representatives of UN Member States, global 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.
Official representatives from member states and civil society can attend the formal CSW meetings and the accompanying side events on women’s issues which are sponsored by member states. During the two-week session, NGOCSW, the civil society arm of CSW presents the NGOCSW Forum where hundreds of sessions, known as parallel events are open for all interested parties to attend. Where member states and NGOs register official representatives for CSW, registration for the NGOCSW Forum can be found at ngocsw.org.