A/RES/71/168
Intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation
century”, 11 the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population
and Development 12 and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social
Development 13 and their 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year reviews, as well as the United
Nations Millennium Declaration, 14 and the commitments relevant to women and
girls made at the 2005 World Summit 15 and reiterated in Assembly resolution 65/1
of 22 September 2010, entitled “Keeping the promise: united to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals”, and those made in the outcome document of the
United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda,
entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, 16
Recognizing the role of regional and subregional instruments and mechanisms
in the prevention and elimination of female genital mutilation, where they exist,
Recalling the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
on the Rights of Women in Africa, adopted in Maputo on 11 July 2003, which
contains, inter alia, undertakings and commitments on ending female genital
mutilation and marks a significant milestone towards the elimination and ending of
female genital mutilation,
Recalling also the decision of the African Union, adopted in Malabo on 1 July
2011, to support the adoption by the General Assembly at its sixty -sixth session of a
resolution banning female genital mutilation,
Recalling further the recommendation of the Commission on the Status of
Women at its fifty-sixth session that the Economic and Social Council recommend
to the General Assembly the adoption of a decision to consider the issue of ending
female genital mutilation at its sixty-seventh session under the item entitled
“Advancement of women”, 17
Recognizing that female genital mutilation constitutes irreparable, irreversible
harm and an act of violence against women and girls that impairs their human
rights, and recognizing also that it affects about 200 million women and girls
worldwide and that each year an estimated further 4 million girls are at risk of being
subjected to the practice throughout the world, which can be an impediment to the
full achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls,
Reaffirming that female genital mutilation is a harmful practice, constituting a
serious threat to the health of women and girls, including their physical, mental,
sexual and reproductive health, increasing their vulnerability to HIV, as well as
hepatitis A and B, and possibly having adverse obstetric and prenatal outcomes, as
well as fatal consequences for the mother and the newborn, and that the elimination
of this harmful practice can be achieved as a result of a comprehensive movement
that involves all public and private stakeholders in society, including girls and boys,
women and men,
_______________
11
Resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September 1994
(United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
13
Report of the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 6–12 March 1995 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.8), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
14
Resolution 55/2.
15
See resolution 60/1.
16
Resolution 70/1.
17
See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2012, Supplement No. 7 and corrigendum
(E/2012/27 and Corr.1), chap. I, sect. A.
12
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