A/RES/71/168 Intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation 1. Stresses that the empowerment of women and girls is key to breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and for the promotion and protection of human rights, including the right to the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health, including sexual and reproductive health, and calls upon States parties to fulfil their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child 7 and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 8 as well as their commitments to implement the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, 20 the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, 12 the Beijing Platform for Action 10 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty -first century”, 11 and of the special session of the General Assembly on children; 21 2. Calls upon States to place a stronger focus on the development and implementation of comprehensive prevention strategies, including the enhancement of educational campaigns, awareness-raising and formal, non-formal and informal education and training in order to promote the direct engagement of girls and boys, women and men and to ensure that all key actors, government officials, including law enforcement and judicial personnel, immigration officials and parliamentarians, health-care providers, civil society, the private sector, community and religious leaders, teachers, employers, media professionals and those dire ctly working with girls, as well as parents, families and communities, work to eliminate attitudes and harmful practices, in particular all forms of female genital mutilation, that negatively affect women and girls; 3. Also calls upon States to strengthen advocacy and awareness-raising programmes, to mobilize girls and boys to take an active part in developing preventive and elimination programmes to address harmful practices, especially female genital mutilation, and to engage families, local community and religious leaders, educational institutions, the media and civil society and provide increased financial support to efforts at all levels to end discriminatory social norms and practices; 4. Urges States to condemn all harmful practices that affect women and girls, in particular female genital mutilation, whether committed within or outside a medical institution, and to take all necessary measures, especially through educational campaigns, including enacting and enforcing legislation, to prohibit female genital mutilation and to protect women and girls from this form of violence, and to hold perpetrators to account; 5. Also urges States to complement punitive measures with awareness raising and educational activities designed to pro mote a process of consensus towards the elimination of female genital mutilation, and further urges States to protect and support women and girls who have been subjected to female genital mutilation and those at risk, including by developing social and psychological support services and care and appropriate remedies, and to take measures to improve their health, including sexual and reproductive health, in order to assist women and girls who are subjected to the practice; _______________ 20 21 4/7 Resolution 48/104. Resolution S-27/2, annex.