Here’s the clear situation for CSW70 (Commission on the Status of Women, 9–20 March 2026) if you want to attend the virtual sessions via Whova and are wondering whether you also need to register on Indico:
🧩 1. UN/Indico Registration (Official CSW70)
The official CSW70 session registration — including for formal participation — is managed through the United Nations’ Indico platform (UN Indico).
This is mandatory if you want to attend official CSW70 meetings as a representative of an ECOSOC-accredited organization.
You must create an Indico account and register there to be recognized as an official participant.
Your registration must then be approved by your organization’s focal point (for accredited NGOs). (Indico.UN (Indico))
So if your goal is to be officially registered as a CSW70 participant (e.g., to speak, to get an official participant list entry, to be recognized by the UN), you generally do need to register via Indico.
✔ Indico is the official registration system for CSW70
✔ Registration is required for access to official UN virtual/live sessions (for accredited participants)
✔ You need an Indico account to register (Indico.UN (Indico))
🧠 2. What Whova Is Used For
Whova is typically used by event organizers to manage event logistics on their platform:
It provides the event agenda
Networking tools
Virtual livestream / session access inside the app
Communication and updates from organizers
For Whova you usually must:
Register for the event through the event’s own registration form (not Indico)
Use the same email address that your organizer has on record
Possibly enter an invitation code if you’re not already on the attendee list. (whova.zendesk.com)
📌 Do You Need BOTH Indico and Whova?
It depends on what you want to do:
✅ If you want official UN CSW70 participation (including access to official UN sessions)
→ You must register on Indico (and be approved by your organization).
This is the UN’s official system for the conference. (Indico.UN (Indico))
✅ If you’re just attending side events, parallel NGO sessions, or community activities that use Whova
→ You may only need to register via Whova as defined by the event organizer.
Whova registration typically lets you access that organizer’s agenda, streaming, and networking features. (whova.zendesk.com)
🆓 What if you’re only a general observer or want to watch webcasts?
Even without official registration:
Many UN sessions are webcast publicly via UN WebTV
NGO forums and parallel events might not require Indico registration even if they use Whova (Indico.UN (Indico))
In practice:
Indico = official participant registration
Whova = platform for organized event content / agenda / streaming
Webcasts on UN WebTV = open access viewing with no Indico needed
🧠 Summary
🔹 Yes — if you need official recognition (UN documentation, official access to CSW70 sessions), you must register in Indico. (unwomen.org)
🔹 Whova alone can give you access to the agenda, livestreams, and virtual platform provided by the event organizer, but it doesn’t replace UN/Indico registration requirements. (whova.zendesk.com)
🔹 You might be able to watch many sessions without Indico by using UN webcast links if you just want to view them, not participate as a delegate. (Indico.UN (Indico))