About NGO CSW Vienna
The NGO Committee on the Status of Women Vienna (NGO CSW Vienna), accredited at the United Nations Office in Vienna, was founded in 1982 and works on a voluntary basis on both national and international levels. The Committee is comprised of around 40 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with a focus on women’s issues. The Committee’s main purpose is to facilitate the activities of its member organizations in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. It acts as a forum for the exchange of information and views on matters of common interest and coordinates the drafting of joint statements to UN agencies and Commissions, including the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Our purpose – what we do
- Promote gender equality and mainstream women's issues in the work of the United Nations.
- Monitor implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment.
- Participate in the UN Commission on the Status of Women, submit statements to its sessions, disseminate related documents, and support the activities of UN Women.
- Advocate for women's issues with UN Member States' missions.
- Consult with subject matter experts and provide the expertise and experience of our member organizations to UN agencies.
- Follow meetings and disseminate information on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
- Follow the work of the Vienna-based UN commissions and agencies, in particular: the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO PrepCom), other international associations located in Vienna such as the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and cooperation with universities and research institutes.
- Submit statements and disseminate information.
- Participate in drafting documents and reports on women's issues.