GWL Voices’ 6 Takeaways for CSW70

The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) has ended with a clear message: gender equality remains one of the most contested arenas in multilateral diplomacy, and a key engine for the strengthening of the multilateral system. Below are some of the GWL Voices’ main takeaways shaping the discussions in New York.

1. A Historic Vote and a Strong Signal of Commitment

For the first time in its history, the outcome document of the Commission on the Status of Women was adopted through a vote rather than consensus. While this represents a departure from the Commission’s traditional practice, the adoption of the political declaration remains a significant achievement for the global gender equality agenda.

The declaration passed with 37 votes in favor, six abstentions, and one vote against from the United States. At a moment when gender equality is increasingly contested in international spaces, the outcome demonstrates that a strong majority of UN Member States continue to support and defend global commitments to women’s rights.

Rather than signaling division alone, this moment underscores something equally important: Member States are willing to defend gender equality commitments, even when consensus proves difficult. In this sense, the adoption of the declaration sends a clear message moving forward: progress may face challenges, but the global commitment to gender equality remains strong.

2. Multilateralism Under Pressure, But Commitments Endure

Negotiations at the Commission on the Status of Women also reflected broader tensions shaping today’s multilateral landscape. Two weeks before the conference began, member states presented over 90 proposed amendments, seeking to remove or modify references to gender equality, gender-based violence, and diversity-related language.

Despite these pressures, the final declaration largely maintained previously agreed commitments. The adopted text includes 38 references to “gender” and 79 to “women and girls,” demonstrating continued recognition of the importance of advancing women’s rights globally. However, unlike the CSW69 declaration, the CSW70 outcome does not reference the selection of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, which previously encouraged Member States to nominate women candidates.

For GWL Voices, this moment reinforces the importance of continuing to advocate for women’s leadership at the highest levels of global governance. As discussions about the future of the UN system evolve, ensuring that women are represented—including the long-overdue possibility of a Madam Secretary-General—remains a critical priority.

3. Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Data on Women in Local Politics Matters

A key takeaway emerging from discussions connected to the event “Bridging the Leadership Gap: Women in Local and Regional Governments” held at Instituto Cervantes New York during the Commission on the Status of Women 70th session (CSW70) is the urgent need to strengthen the data and evidence based on women’s political leadership at the local and regional level. Research presented through the GWL Voices Women in Politics initiative shows that women remain significantly underrepresented in executive positions, with only 17% of mayoralties in Latin America held by women, and progress increasing by just around nine percentage points over the past two decades. Yet one of the major challenges identified during the research process was the limited availability of reliable and comparable data. Electoral databases are often incomplete, inconsistent across countries, or lack gender-disaggregated information, making it difficult to accurately measure representation and design effective policy responses. Strengthening data systems therefore emerged as a critical priority. As emphasized by panelists from GWL Voices, UN Women and United Cities and Local Governments, better data—particularly disaggregated by gender and other social dimensions—is essential to make inequalities visible, track progress, and guide evidence-based policymaking.

At the same time, participants stressed that data alone is not enough to close the leadership gap. Women in local politics continue to face a range of structural barriers that limit both their entry into and retention in leadership roles. These include gender-based violence in politics, persistent discrimination within political parties and institutions, unequal access to financing and networks, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, which restricts the time and resources women can dedicate to political careers. Cultural norms and gender stereotypes further undermine women’s leadership, while institutional frameworks often fail to provide the protections and enabling conditions needed for meaningful participation. Addressing these barriers requires a comprehensive approach that combines stronger data systems with targeted policies to prevent violence, redistribute care, ensure equal opportunities, and transform the structural conditions that continue to exclude women from local and regional decision-making.

4. Leadership Legitimacy and the Next UN Secretary-General

At a moment of deep questioning around the effectiveness and credibility of multilateralism, leadership legitimacy at the United Nations is under renewed scrutiny. During CSW70 in New York, GWL Voices convened a high-level panel on Power, Representation and the Future of the UN, bringing together global leaders and experts to reflect on who holds power within the multilateral system, and who is still excluded. The discussion was grounded in emerging evidence from the Women in Multilateralism 2026 data, which continues to show persistent gender imbalances across senior leadership positions in international organizations. These inequalities are not only a matter of fairness; they directly affect the legitimacy, credibility, and effectiveness of global governance at a time when trust in institutions is declining. In parallel, the UN Secretary-General election has gained momentum, calling for a more transparent, inclusive, and merit-based selection process.

The message coming out of CSW70 side events and broader UN engagements in New York is clear: leadership reform cannot be symbolic. It is not about any person, nor simply any woman or any man—it is about ensuring that the most qualified, visionary, and representative leadership is selected through a fair and open process. This requires breaking with historical patterns of exclusion while recognizing that diversity and excellence are not mutually exclusive, but mutually reinforcing. As conversations across CSW70 highlighted, advancing gender equality in leadership is central to rebuilding trust in the UN and ensuring it is fit for purpose in the 21st century. The next Secretary-General must embody not only competence and experience, but also the legitimacy that comes from a process—and an outcome—that reflects the diversity of the world it serves.

5. Youth Voices Matter for the Future of Multilateralism

At a time when the multilateral system is under increasing strain, integrating youth perspectives is essential to its renewal and long-term legitimacy. Young people bring fresh thinking, lived awareness of emerging global challenges, and a willingness to question entrenched power structures that often limit innovation in global governance. Their engagement helps ensure that multilateralism remains responsive, inclusive, and forward-looking. Strengthening the system therefore requires not only institutional reform, but also meaningful spaces where youth can contribute to shaping the political and policy agendas that will define their futures.

In this spirit, GWL Voices convened a group of students from universities across the United States as Her Turn Rapporteurs for CSW70 to actively participate in a REACT session with its members. This exchange was designed not only to gather their insights on how to improve multilateralism and politics, but also to foster a dynamic intergenerational dialogue. By bringing together emerging leaders and experienced global decision-makers, the session created a space for mutual learning, where new ideas, critical perspectives, and diverse experiences could inform a more inclusive and effective vision for global governance.

6. The Need for an Open and Transparent Debate Among Candidates

As momentum builds around the selection of the next UN Secretary-General, an increasing number of informal debates and interviews have begun to emerge. While these are important steps forward, they remain insufficient to ensure a truly transparent and inclusive process. There is still a clear need for additional neutral, public forums that allow candidates to engage directly with one another and with global audiences on critical questions of leadership, legitimacy, and decision-making in today’s multilateral system. Leadership legitimacy is not only shaped by Member State support, but also by public trust and confidence in a candidate’s ability to navigate complex global challenges. Creating spaces for open exchange is therefore essential to strengthening both the process and the outcome.

In this context, GWL Voices is stepping forward to help fill this gap. Building on its longstanding engagement with UN leadership processes, the organization will convene a high-level debate among candidates for Secretary-General on June 9 in Geneva, as announced by its President at the United Nations Correspondents Association. Organized in collaboration with the United Nations Foundation, this initiative will provide a globally accessible platform where candidates can present their visions, engage in dialogue, and respond to pressing questions on how to strengthen multilateralism. By offering a space grounded in transparency, inclusivity, and public engagement, GWL Voices aims to complement existing efforts and contribute to a more open, credible, and participatory selection process—one that reflects the expectations of a global public invested in the future of the United Nations.