IWPG–EWT to Advance Cooperation for Establishing an International Treaty at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
The International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), Global Region 2 (Regional Director Seo Yeon Lee), has agreed to co-host an NGO Parallel Event with Every Woman Treaty (EWT) of Lebanon at the 70th UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW70).
IWPG Global Region 2 announced that on the 18th, it held a consultation with EWT to coordinate the joint event for UN CSW70. The meeting, led by Seo Yeon Lee, Regional Director of IWPG Global Region 2, was organized with the aim of strengthening international solidarity to advance women’s rights and establish lasting peace.
EWT is an international coalition consisting of approximately 4,000 women’s rights activists and organizations from 165 countries. The organization prioritizes the elimination of violence against women and girls and is actively working to establish a legally binding international mechanism by introducing a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The theme of this year’s UN CSW70 is “Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls.” Key discussion points include building inclusive legal and institutional systems, reforming discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and dismantling structural barriers. The agenda also highlights the importance of expanding women’s participation in public life and eliminating violence as core areas of review, thereby emphasizing gender equality and the empowerment of women.
During the consultation, Patricia Elias, Chief of the Global Diplomatic Campaign at Every Woman Treaty (EWT), emphasized that “sustainable peace is not possible without the participation of women.” She highlighted IWPG as an essential partner capable of creating meaningful change at UN CSW70, noting the organization’s strong influence within international networks for women’s peace and human rights.
Seo Yeon Lee, Regional Director of IWPG Global Region 2, stated, “UN CSW70 serves as a key platform for women’s organizations around the world to discuss shared agendas. We will continue to strengthen our collaboration with international NGOs around core issues such as enhancing women’s legal accessibility, expanding public participation, and eliminating violence.”
Building on this consultation, IWPG plans to establish a co-hosting framework with major NGOs in Geneva, Vienna, and New York. The organization also intends to expand its global petition campaign for women’s rights and the establishment of lasting peace, in collaboration with its domestic and international members as well as global partners.
Meanwhile, IWPG is a global women’s NGO registered with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Department of Global Communications (DGC), headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea. It has 115 branches in 122 countries worldwide and actively works with more than 800 partner organizations in 68 countries. With the vision of “achieving sustainable world peace,” it strives to expand solidarity needed in the world, spread the culture of peace, provide women’s peace education, and advocate for and promote the legislation of the “Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).”