Reflection on a 6-year tenure as Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 2014, para. 27
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In total, some 158 countries have adopted laws prohibiting marriage before the age of 18, although in 146 of them, marriage under the age of 18 can be performed with parental consent. In spite of these measures, early marriage continues to take place worldwide. Although a few countries have made progress, the available data shows that globally, the incidence of early marriage was stable between 2001 and 2010. As many as 61 countries still have a prevalence rate of child marriage of over 20 per cent. According to UNICEF data from 2012, one third of women aged 20 to 24 years old - that is, some 70 million women - were married before the age of 18.
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Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material