New York, New York - Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Catherine Russell will co-head the U.S. delegation attending the 59th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to be held March 9–20 at UN Headquarters in New York. Ambassador Samantha Power will also co-head the delegation.

During her time in New York, Ambassador Russell will deliver the U.S. statement to the CSW. The statement will highlight the progress both the United States and the world have made to advance women in the twenty years since the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and the next steps needed to build on that progress, with a focus on the Post-2015 Development Agenda as a key opportunity.

Ambassador Russell will also attend a variety of events on the sidelines of the CSW. On Monday, March 9, Ambassador Russell will host a reception honoring members of the Equal Futures partnership with her Australian counterpart, Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja. A multilateral initiative, the Equal Futures Partnership secures concrete commitments from its members to empower women in their own countries.

On Tuesday, March 10, she will participate in a ministerial roundtable on women’s economic empowerment and host a consultation with U.S.-based civil society organizations.

On Thursday, March 12, Ambassador Russell will give opening remarks at an intergenerational event honoring activists who attended the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. In the afternoon, she and Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan will host a luncheon honoring this year’s recipients of the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage awards. CBS’ This Morning Co-Host Norah O’Donnell will join the luncheon as a special guest. Later Ambassador Russell will participate in a panel on women’s access to energy, hosted by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.

For more information on this trip, please contact Rachel Wallace at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on the State Department’s work on global women’s issues, follow Ambassador Russell on Twitter @AmbCathyRussell or visit www.state.gov/s/gwi/.