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The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, and is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

During the Commission’s annual two-week session, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations, UN entities, and others gather at UN headquarters in New York, to discuss progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the comprehensive global policy framework and blueprint for action, which is a current source of guidance and inspiration ro realize gender equality and the human rights of women and girls, everywhere. key global policy document on gender equality – as well as discuss on emerging issues that affect gender equality and the empowerment of women. Member States will work to 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 will then be forwarded to ECOSOC for follow-up action.

This 66th Session of the Commission (CSW66) will have as priority theme 'Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes,' and as a review theme, 'Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work' (agreed conclusions of the sixty-first session).

The Commission will review, as appropriate, its methods of work, taking into consideration the outcome of the process of alignment of the agendas of the UNGA and ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, with a view to further enhancing the impact of the work of the Commission. In addition, the Commission will make a recommendation on how to ensure that the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women is a landmark year, where further progress can be made to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls everywhere.

The FAO Deputy Director-General, Maria Helena Semedo, will deliver a video message as part of the Commission's general session.

Access the list of all CSW66 side events.

Learn more about FAO's work on gender equality and women's empowerment.