Important update CSW64!

In light of the current concerns regarding coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at an informal meeting held on 2 March, Member States decided that the sixty-fourth session of the Commission will convene on 9 March, at 10.00 a.m., for a procedural meeting that will include opening statements followed by the adoption of the draft Political Declaration and action on any other draft resolutions.

The session will then suspend until further notification. No general debate will take place and all side events planned by Member States and the UN system in conjunction with CSW64 will be cancelled.

The meeting reiterated the Secretary-General’s strong recommendation that capital-based delegations and other stakeholders refrain from travelling to UN Headquarters.

More information:

• Read the full letter from the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women

• Read the NGO CSW64 Forum Cancellation Notice

• See the UNCSW64 website

In 2020, the main focus of the UNCSW will be on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly.

The review will include an assessment of current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and its contribution towards the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is an important opportunity for the trade union movement to make our demands visible, to influence this global body and to strengthen and consolidate our alliances with major civil society organizations (CSO’s). We need to coordinate actions at the national, regional and global levels, and ensure our key priorities are included in the outcome document of UNCSW64 (commonly referred to as the ‘Agreed Conclusions’).

PSI, the ITUC and other Global Unions have jointly prepared and submitted a Statement to the UNCSW64 calling for bold commitments in advancing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the human rights of women throughout the lifecycle.

PSI is an accredited organisation for this Commission. The United Nations limits the number of delegates to 20 people per organisation. PSI encourages the participation of women, young and LGBTI workers from our affiliated unions. We also welcome men as members of our delegation, in conformity with our gender mainstreaming policy. PSI will register representatives in order to ensure adequate regional representation.

Follow the trade union delegation's activities on our Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

For more information:

• Joint Global Unions’ statement to the UNCSW64 (pdf): English – Français – Español

• Trade union delegation blog: unioncsw/world-psi.org

• See the UN CSW64 website for more information on the session.