The girl child A/RES/68/146 and economic exploitation and violence, abuse, rape, incest, honour-related crimes and harmful practices, such as female infanticide, child, early and forced marriage, prenatal sex selection and female genital mutilation, Taking note with appreciation of the adoption by the Human Rights Council of its resolution 24/23 of 27 September 2013 entitled “Strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage: challenges, achievements, best practices and implementation gaps”, 21 Deeply concerned that, despite its widespread practice, child, early and forced marriage is still underreported, recognizing that this requires further attention and that child, early and forced marriage exposes the girl child to greater risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, often leads to premature sexual relations, early pregnancy and early childbearing and increases the risk of obstetric fistula and high levels of maternal mortality and morbidity, and furthermore entails complications during pregnancy and childbirth, which often lead to disability, stillbirth and maternal death, particularly for young women and girls, which require appropriate prenatal and postnatal health-care services for mothers, including in the area of skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care, and noting with concern that this reduces girls’ opportunities to complete their education, gain comprehensive knowledge, participate in the community or develop employable skills and is likely to have a long-term adverse impact on their employment opportunities and their and their children’s quality of life and violates and impairs the full enjoyment of their human rights, Deeply concerned also that female genital mutilation violates and impairs the full enjoyment of the human rights of women and girls and that it is an irreparable and irreversible harmful practice, and that the goal of ending female genital mutilation in the next generation, as reaffirmed by the General Assembly in its resolution 67/146 of 20 December 2012, remains unfinished business, Stressing the need for the international community, the relevant United Nations entities, the specialized agencies, civil society and international financial institutions to continue to actively support, through the allocation of enhanced financial resources and technical assistance, targeted comprehensive programmes that address the needs and priorities of child-headed households and women and girls at risk of or subjected to child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation, Emphasizing that increased access to education for young people, especially adolescent girls, including in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, as well as health care, hygiene and sanitation, dramatically lowers their vulnerability to preventable diseases and infections, in particular HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, Recognizing that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple forms of discrimination, including in respect of their access to education, healthcare services and employment, and the importance of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in this regard, 1. Stresses the need for the full and urgent implementation of the rights of the girl child as provided to her under human rights instruments, and urges States to _______________ 21 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/68/53/Add.1), chap. III. 5/13