Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has been made of the merits of including representatives of civil society organisations in the UK delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women; and whether there are plans to change the current approach to delegation composition.

There are well-established arrangements for ensuring that civil society organisations (CSOs) attending the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) can help shape the UK's overall approach, including an annual joint UK Government and CSO side event held in the margins of CSW. This year's event focused on accelerating progress on ending violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The UK was proud to support the Agreed Conclusions on women and girls' access to justice. Domestically, we are committed to dismantling the barriers that prevent women from accessing justice and seeking and obtaining legal remedies. Internationally, we are committed to putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do, as reflected in our updated priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.