New York – As the largest United Nations convening dedicated to gender equality and women’s rights opens today, governments meeting at the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) have adopted by broad consensus a powerful set of Agreed Conclusions aimed at strengthening access to justice for all women and girls and advancing gender equality worldwide.
Through this negotiated outcome, global leaders reaffirmed that access to justice is a transformative force for women and girls, which advances equality and non-discrimination, protects against violence and abuse, and strengthens trust in institutions. The Agreed Conclusions provide a roadmap to build more inclusive governance, support peace and social cohesion, and prevent future violations.
Welcoming its adoption, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Sima Bahous said: “I applaud the delegations that have worked tirelessly to reach these Agreed Conclusions. They represent an important commitment to advancing access to justice for women and girls, ending impunity, and building justice systems that work for everyone, equally. By coming together, governments are once again demonstrating to the world what this Commission can achieve – and what our multilateral system can deliver for women and girls.”
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The Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, Ambassador Martiza Chan of Costa Rica, reflected on the importance of carrying these commitments forward beyond the session, noting: “We came here to commemorate, and we’re leaving with something harder to carry – responsibility. Every woman who spoke to us today carried a single message: behind every statistic is a life, behind every negotiating position, is a woman or girl waiting to see if we mean what we say.”
“The answer depends on political will”, she concluded.
Agreement comes as a recent report of the UN Secretary-General, presented by UN Women, finds that no country has yet achieved full legal equality between women and men.
The conclusions call on governments to review and amend discriminatory laws, including those related to child marriage, family law, and property rights. They also urge stronger measures to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls – online and offline – ensuring accountability for perpetrators and timely access to justice and support services for survivors.
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Through these Agreed Conclusion, Member States recommit to strengthen access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices, and addressing structural barriers. They advance commitments to transformative legal reform, expanded access to legal aid and legal empowerment, stronger coordination across justice institutions, the responsible use of technology and digital innovation, and increased efforts to prevent violence against women.
Among key provisions of the text are the formal recognition of community justice workers and paralegals within national legal frameworks and new commitments on digital justice and AI governance aimed at expanding women’s access to justice. The Agreed Conclusions also call for the repeal of discriminatory laws, stronger protections for women’s rights at work, and reinforced national mechanisms to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. In conflict and crisis settings, the agreement calls for gender-responsive and survivor-centred justice systems.
From 9 to 19 March, governments, civil society, UN entities, and other partners will convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York for CSW70 to advance policies, financing and accountability for gender equality worldwide. In the face of a global backlash, UN Women calls on all partners everywhere to stand up, show up, and speak up for rights, justice and action – for all women and girls to live safely, speak freely and exist equally.