What is CSW?
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal UN body dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. CSW70 is the 70th session of this annual gathering, held from March 9 to 19, 2026, at UN Headquarters in New York.
This year’s priority theme is 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.
Despite hostility, a hard-won victory!
On 9 March, the 45 Member States of the CSW voted to adopt this year’s Agreed Conclusions*. Before adoption, hostile amendments were put to a vote, including 8 proposed by the United States and others supported by a bloc of Member States that sought to subordinate gender equality commitments. They failed.
Fortunately, the adopted text – identified by the Women’s Rights Caucus and the LBTI Caucus as the strongest possible outcome – retains essential language on diversity and multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
Watch the full Agreed Conclusions being voted on and adopted below.
* Agreed Conclusions are the primary negotiated outcome documents of each annual CSW session. They provide a concrete analysis of the priority theme, offering specific policy recommendations for member states and stakeholders to implement at local, national, and international levels.
Why does this matter for trans communities?
CSW is one of the remaining entry points in UN gender equality frameworks that allow for the inclusion of LBTI, trans, and gender diverse people. The adopted text is a direct safeguard for our communities in global policy spaces where our rights are increasingly under attack.