CSW69: Marking 30 Years of Beijing Declaration, Driving Global Gender Equality

…CSW69 to hold on March 10 in New York, US

The 69th annual UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) will be held from 10 to 21 March 2025 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, US.

The session will review the progress made on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to mark its 30th anniversary.

The Beijing Declaration, adopted 30 years back, is a visionary 1995 plan agreed by 189 countries, including Nigeria, to achieve the equal rights of all women and girls— addressing education, health, violence against women, and systems that discriminate against women.

The 69th conference’s main focus is 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 realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women plays a crucial role in facilitating the preparation for, and in ensuring the successful outcome of the annual sessions of the Commission.

The Bureau for the 69th session includes members such as the Chair, Asia and Pacific States Group, H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz M. Alwasil (Saudi Arabia); Vice-Chair, Latin American and Caribbean States Group, H.E. Ms. Maritza Chan Valverde (Costa Rica).

Vice-Chair, Designate, Western European and Other States Group, Ms. Robin Maria de Vogel (Netherlands); Vice-Chair, African States Group, Ms. Dúnia Eloisa Pires do Canto (Cabo Verde); and the Vice-Chair, Eastern European States Group, Ms. Nataliia Mudrenko (Ukraine).

As seen on the UN Women’s website, the UN Secretary-General’s report on the 30-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action reflects global, regional, and national reviews of 159 countries, summarising progress and priorities for further action.

The report finds that many countries have made strides in gender equality and women’s empowerment, from banning discrimination in employment to adopting gender-responsive climate action plans.

“Innovation is accelerating progress, and opportunities are opening to scale up proven strategies. Yet gender discrimination remains deeply embedded in all economies and societies, imposing chronic constraints on the rights and hopes of women and girls,” the statement read in part.

Extensive participation in the review is said to reflect the continued relevance and critical importance of the Beijing Platform for Action, including in reaching the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Based on the findings, UN Women has collaborated with partners to design the “Beijing+30 action agenda”, which brings people together to realise the promises of the platform and the global goals, reinforcing how everyone has a role to play.

People expected to participate in this year’s conference are thousands of representatives from Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

By Rebecca Ejifoma

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/03/06/csw69-marking-30-years-of-beijing-declaration-driving-global-gender-equality/