At this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), CIVICUS engaged across a range of high-level discussions and strategic convenings to push for stronger protections for civic freedoms at the UN and beyond, more inclusive feminist policymaking, and greater accountability within global governance systems.
As part of these efforts, CIVICUS contributed to critical conversations on the intersection of the right to protest and intersectional identities, highlighting persistent gaps in United Nations standards and calling for more robust protections for activists facing intersecting forms of discrimination. These discussions reinforced the importance of the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression as fundamental pillars of democratic participation, particularly for those whose voices are most often excluded.
CIVICUS also engaged directly with representatives from the European Union Delegation to the United Nations and members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), where we underscored the urgent need to safeguard civic space as a prerequisite for achieving gender equality, drawing on evidence-based insights from the CIVICUS Monitor and the State of Civil Society Report. The exchange emphasized that civil society must be seen not only as stakeholders, but as essential partners in shaping responsive, inclusive, and rights-based policy at all levels – national, regional and international.
In parallel, CIVICUS, GQUAL, and 1 for 8 Billion co-organized a high-level discussion on ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the selection process of the next UN Secretary-General. These conversations brought together member states, civil society, and academics to challenge the opacity that continues to characterize global leadership appointments and called for greater transparency, meaningful public participation, and feminist leadership that reflects the diversity and realities of the global community.
Alongside these public engagements, CIVICUS held a series of meetings with members and partners to support their navigation of the United Nations space, particularly in the context of advocacy on closing civic space. These exchanges provided an opportunity to share practical insights, strengthen strategies, and ensure that grassroots perspectives are effectively positioned within multilateral processes.
Across these engagements, CIVICUS reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that global decision-making spaces are more transparent, inclusive, and accountable to the people they are meant to serve.
