Expression of Interest: Australia’s Delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

The Australian Government invites civil society representatives to apply for up to 2 delegate positions on the official delegation to the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70). CSW70 will take place at United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York from 9 to 20 March 2026.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Founded in 1946, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the biggest global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. For over 70 years, CSW has led discussions on the inequalities and discrimination women and girls face, generated public attention on harmful stereotypes, and driven action to advance the human rights of women and girls everywhere.

Each year, the CSW focuses on a priority and review theme. For CSW70, they are:

• Priority theme: Ensuring and strengthening 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.
• Review theme: Women’s full and effective participation and decision making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (agreed conclusions of the sixty-fifth session).

The outcome of the CSW’s consideration of the priority theme during CSW70 will be Agreed Conclusions, to be negotiated by all Member States.

This Expression of Interest (EOI) process is designed to ensure a fair, transparent, and inclusive selection of CSO delegates who will represent diverse perspectives and expertise in gender equality, women’s empowerment, and human rights.

Roles and responsibilities

The successful CSO delegates will be members of the Australian official delegation, which may also include senior government officials, and statutory office holders. Delegates will gain a unique and valuable opportunity to represent Australia at high-level meetings and events, and work with a range of stakeholders to progress international gender equality efforts.

CSO delegates are expected to:

• advise the Australian Government on priority issues and themes, and emerging issues and concerns in the non-government organisation (NGO)/CSO community
• liaise between domestic and international CSOs and the Australian Government delegation, coordinating feedback on Agreed Conclusion (CSW outcomes documents) negotiations
• attend meetings and events in a representative capacity as official members of the Australian delegation.

CSO delegates must have expertise or experience working on matters relating to:

• gender equality
• access to justice (aligned with the CSW70 priority theme)
• human rights or other relevant fields
• expertise in the priority theme or the review theme.

In addition, successful applicants must have:

• strong existing networks
• demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across these and develop new collaborative networks.
• Familiarity with UN architecture and CSW processes is preferred, but not essential.

Successful CSO delegates are expected to act in a professional and collaborative manner at all times whilst representing the Australian delegation, including at pre and post-CSW70 events.

Applicants should be aware that participating in the CSO delegation may be a stressful experience. CSO delegates are expected to become familiar with and process complex, detailed information in short timeframes, work in an unfamiliar environment away from their normal support networks, and participate in potentially emotive discussions. Activities are often scheduled outside standard business hours and can include late nights and early morning events and meetings.

The Office for Women will provide CSO delegates with reasonable administrative and logistical support. This includes pre-CSW verbal briefings, a detailed pre-briefing pack, and daily briefings while in New York. CSO delegates will also have access to mentoring from previous CSO delegates. This will help ensure they are well-prepared and supported to effectively represent Australian civil society and contribute meaningfully to CSW70 outcomes.

Support will not be provided for personal arrangements or activities that fall outside the scope of the CSO delegates’ official duties whilst in New York City.

The selected CSO delegates’ participation in CSW70 will be conditional on meeting the following minimum standards of engagement.

Minimum standards of engagement

Pre-CSW70

Prior to attending CSW70 in New York the selected CSO delegates will:

• participate in discussions to assist Australia’s preparation for CSW70, including attending at least 2 briefings (virtual/Canberra) with government
• host virtual workshops with Australian civil society to understand collective priorities for CSW70, and report back to the Office for Women
• host virtual workshops with Australian civil society providing updates on CSW70 preparation, including key activities and advocacy points for civil society throughout CSW70
• provide expert advice to the delegation on issues relating to the priority and review themes, including proposed civil society language to be included in any Agreed Conclusions or other outcomes documents and other relevant issues
• coordinate broader Australian civil society feedback on all iterations of the Agreed Conclusions in a timely manner, and using government feedback templates where applicable to assist consolidating feedback.
• use their networks to consult with Australian women and girls in all their diversity on the issues that are of concern to them
• encourage and facilitate early engagement with CSW processes by other individuals, non-government representatives and civil society organisations
• provide requested information relating to their attendance at CSW70 including personal details, photographs and biographical information to the Office for Women within specified timeframes
• take any and all reasonable actions to assist the Office for Women in arranging any travel or logistical matters relating to their attendance at CSW70 within specified timeframes, particularly in January 2026
• clear any requests to speak at CSW70 events or engage in media activities, including the use of social media, in relation to their role as an Australian NGO/CSO delegate through the Office for Women.

During CSW70

During CSW70 the selected CSO delegates will:

• provide expert advice to the delegation on issues relating to the priority and review themes, including proposed civil society language to be included in Agreed Conclusions, if negotiations take place during CSW70, and other relevant issues
• liaise with other non-government participants, including through relevant caucuses, and provide feedback to the Australian delegation on their priority issues in a timely manner, noting the often time-sensitive deadlines provided by the UN
• participate in a range of meetings and events including formal CSW70 sessions, side events, parallel events and official functions as directed by the Office for Women
• host daily briefing sessions for Australian non-government participants who are attending CSW70 independent of the Australian Government delegation
• use social media and other forms of communication where appropriate to provide information to non-government representatives and CSOs back in Australia on CSW70 processes
• perform various administrative and other reasonable tasks as requested by the Office for Women to support and facilitate the delegation’s involvement at CSW70
• dependent on their relevant skills and areas of expertise, present or speak at Australian sponsored CSW70 side events as determined by the Office for Women.

Post-CSW70

Upon their return to Australia following CSW70, the selected CSO delegates will:

• coordinate a virtual de-brief workshop with Australian CSOs who attended CSW70 for their feedback and reflections on Australia’s engagement
• attend post-CSW events and debriefs as requested by the Office for Women to share their experiences as a member of the delegation and their views on the outcomes of CSW70
• share knowledge about their experiences at CSW with other individuals, non-government representatives and CSOs as appropriate, including on the Agreed Conclusions or other outcomes documents and Australia’s progress in promoting gender equality within Australia and internationally
• mentor the selected CSO delegates for CSW71.

Delegates will also be required to provide a written report (no more than 2 pages) to the Office for Women, no later than 1 May 2026, on their involvement in the Australian delegation to CSW70. The report will focus on their participation in events associated with CSW70, their views on the outcomes of the session and the Australian Government’s priorities for women in relation to the priority and review themes. Excerpts from the report may be used in a range of publicly available post-CSW materials.

Inclusion and diversity

The Office for Women is committed to fostering diversity and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, young people, culturally and linguistically diverse peoples, and people living with disability.