The 64th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women was to take place in New York City over the next two weeks, starting yesterday (March 9th). However, due to the COVID19 outbreak, the Commission convened for a one-day procedural meeting yesterday and the Session was suspended until further notice.
No general debate will take place over the next two weeks and all side events planned by Member States and the UN system, and parallel events planned by civil society in conjunction with CSW64 have been cancelled.
In their response, the Global Unions, including The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Education International (EI), Public Services International (PSI), UNI Global Union, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), International Federation of Journalist (IFJ), International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), point out that in a year when the world is celebrating the adoption of most advanced blue print for achieving women’s rights – the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action– and just one day after International Women’s Day, Member States adopted a Declaration that‘fails to deliver the message of hope, encouragement and commitment that women all over the world expect and deserve'.