Saudi Arabia to Lead UN Women’s Rights Forum in 2025

Facts

• The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has unanimously elected the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to chair the organization's 69th session in 2025.¹
• The CSW is a 'functional commission' of the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established in 1946. UN Women describes the body as 'dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.'²
• The commission's Asia group unanimously approved Saudi Arabia's bid, and the UN's other four regional groups adhered to precedent by not contesting the selection. However, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticized the decision.³
• Following the appointment, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the UN – Abdulaziz Alwasil – stated that he was both 'honored' to now chair the committee and that Saudi Arabia was 'committed' to both female empowerment and gender equality.⁴
• This comes as the non-profit organization Freedom House's 2024 report on Saudi Arabia claims that women are 'subject to extensive legal and societal discrimination,' while also acknowledging that educational and economic rights had 'improved significantly in recent years.'⁵

Sources: ¹Twitter, ²UN Women–Headquarters, ³DW, ⁴UN Web TV and ⁵Freedom House.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Guardian. A product of an international lobbying and public relations scheme, Saudi Arabia's appointment as chair of the CSW is both comically ironic and deeply concerning. Saudi Arabia has no right to hold any influence over such an important international body — it's a travesty that a country with such a poor domestic record has walked uncontested into leadership over the UN strategy concerning gender equality.
• Narrative B, as provided by WWW. Saudi Arabia's first-ever appointment as chair of the world's leading committee on women's rights is a testament to the country's impressive progress towards equality. Saudi Arabia will continue to champion equality and empowerment for women, encouraging greater participation at all levels of society. Riyadh will lead this important posting with due diligence and conscientiousness.

Predictions