Costa Rica, EU Block UN Definition of “Woman”

By | 2026

UNITED NATIONS, March 13 (C-Fam) The European Union quashed eight attempts by the United States to define what a woman is and to keep abortion rights out of an agreement of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

As a result, for the first time in the eighty-year history of the Commission, the U.S. called for a vote against the annual final agreement. Every previous agreement of the Commission was adopted by unanimous decision. Such is how divisive negotiations at the UN have become.

The Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Nations and this year’s chair of the commission, Maritza Chan Valverde, colluded with the Europeans to block the U.S. efforts.

Valverde, who is rumored to be angling for a high-level UN job, sided with the European Union on several controversial procedural rulings. This directly led to the defeat of the U.S. amendments to define gender and qualify references to reproductive health without ever debating their merits.

First, despite requests from 22 governments to postpone adoption, Valverde decided to adopt the agreement. The 22 governments wanted a delay so that the body could reach unanimity.

U.S. Ambassador Dan Negrea insisted that “the government of the United States cannot in any way consider the document presently submitted to the commission as if it were agreed conclusions.”

Speaking on behalf of the 22 governments calling for a delay, a Nigerian Ambassador said that “adoption should not take place when issues remain unresolved,” especially because this year the agreement was fast-tracked by Valverde.

After Valverde unilaterally decided to proceed as the Europeans wanted, she then unilaterally allowed the European Union to bundle the eight U.S. amendments into a single amendment without allowing the commission to consider the merits of each amendment individually.

She then began the voting process on the EU motion, shutting down any possibility of further challenge. During the confusion, as if to emphasize the defeat of the U.S. delegation, a delegate of Liechtenstein close to the EU delegation said triumphantly that it was no longer possible to challenge what had gone down. “You have made a ruling on moving ahead. The ruling has not been put to a vote. We have begun voting on amendments,” he said.

This maneuvering by Costa Rica and the Europeans ensured the defeat of the U.S. amendments. Several states expressed support for some of the amendments but said they could not vote in favor of all of them together. Fourteen delegations ultimately abstained entirely on the vote to protect the European Union and Valverde’s action.

After the U.S. put the entire agreement to a vote, six delegations abstained. The U.S. alone voted against the agreement. Several statements are expected expressing solidarity with the U.S. position on Thursday.

Egypt’s Ambassador to the United Nations could not wait until next week. He immediately chastened the Chair and the European Union. “It could have been possible to accommodate all views. A few more hours could have spared us this fate,” he said.

In response, the Trump administration presented a draft resolution to define gender in all UN contexts as referring to men and women. The debate on that resolution, and the final reactions of states to the entire session of the commission this year, will take place on Thursday, March 19.

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