In response to the recent decisions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump, the undersigned feminist organizations and groups urge the United Nations to permanently move the location of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to a site outside of the United States. This demand arises from the clear arbitrariness and the ongoing, openly declared discrimination by the U.S. administration against peoples of the Global South and against and towards human rights advocates globally.

The undersigned hold the view that the rapid militarization of global politics, coupled with deliberate actions to weaken international law and the fundamental principles and values of human rights, as well as attempts to demonize the peoples of the Global South and migrants, are unfolding in parallel with a series of decisions taken by the U.S. administration that primarily target countries and communities of the Global South.

Just one week after assuming office – for the first time – in 2017, Donald Trump enacted Executive Order 13769, commonly referred to as the “First Travel Ban,” which prohibited entry to citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations and halted the refugee admissions program. This was succeeded by the amended Executive Order 13780, which retained most of the restrictions. In September 2017, Trump issued Presidential Proclamation 9645—a more extensive and organized iteration of the ban—which was subsequently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court under the pretext of “security concerns.” In 2020, the restrictions were broadened to encompass six additional countries, primarily located in Africa. Despite facing legal challenges to these policies, their discriminatory effects have endured for years even in his second term, culminating in Trump’s declaration in November 2025 of his intention to prevent immigration from what he termed “third world countries,” which reflects a racist and discriminatory stand towards the populations of the Global South.

Although many of these restrictions have formally targeted permanent immigration rather than short-term visits, in practice we have witnessed arbitrary denials of visas for individuals seeking to participate in United Nations events. For many years, feminist civil society organizations have advocated for moving the CSW meetings to a more accessible location—such as Geneva—or for alternating the CSW venue among various regions globally to guarantee equitable representation of feminist movements from all nations, especially those in the Global South.

The undersigned organizations believe that these policies reflect a colonial and discriminatory approach that President Trump has pursued since his first term in office and continues to pursue today. These policies have significantly undermined the ability of feminist civil society to participate in and contribute to United Nations discussions held in New York.

Accordingly, we urge the following actions:

• Relocating the venue of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women to a site that is more accessible for feminist civil society.

• The United Nations should take a firmer and more resolute position against discrimination, racism, and colonial practices that affect the peoples of the Global South.

• Opening meaningful space for civil society involvement in the formulation and impact of UN decision-making processes, ensuring that the voices of the people are represented at the negotiating table.