E/2007/27 E/CN.6/2007/9 2. Urges States and invites, as appropriate, relevant funds and programmes, agencies and entities within the United Nations system: (a) To support and implement the development of national and international strategies of prevention, care and treatment to effectively address sexual and reproductive health, maternal mortality and morbidities, including obstetric fistula, and to further develop a multisectoral, multidisciplinary, comprehensive and integrated approach to ensure access to the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual and reproductive health, and to bring about lasting solutions and meaningful responses to maternal mortality, morbidity and obstetric complications, including the problem of obstetric fistula; (b) To develop, support and implement initiatives ensuring that the rights of the girl child, as a part of all human rights, are not violated by forced marriage, forced early sexual activities or harmful traditional practices; (c) To give increased attention to national capacity-building, where necessary, in order to overcome the challenges of collecting accurate information on these practices; 3. Invites States and encourages, as appropriate, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and other civil society actors, and the international community: (a) To design and implement educational programmes at all levels, and to develop information campaigns about the health-related risks, causes and consequences of forced marriage of the girl child, unprotected and premature sexual relations, and early pregnancy, as well as to develop teaching materials and textbooks, as appropriate, in order to accelerate a sociocultural change towards gender equality, in particular through sensitizing and informing women, girls, men and boys about the illegality and harmful effects of forced marriage; (b) To support and allocate resources for programmes to strengthen preventive action, in particular education for women and men, as well as for boys and girls, on gender equality, self-respect and mutual respect and eliminating gender stereotypes, and for campaigns to increase public awareness of the issue at the national and grass-roots levels, especially keeping in mind those who may be in positions of particular influence, including parents, legal guardians, families, teachers, community and religious leaders, and the media; (c) To provide appropriate protection, safe shelter, counselling, comprehensive information and education, legal aid, family planning, rehabilitation and reintegration into society to victims of such marriages; (d) To increase access to the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual and reproductive health, by providing medical facilities, training for healthcare workers, including traditional birth attendants, equipment, supplies and transportation in communities that practise forced marriage of the girl child; (e) To continue to study the links between poverty, underdevelopment and certain harmful practices, such as forced marriage of the girl child, child prostitution and trafficking in persons, as well as the links between such harmful practices and customs and traditions, health, education and economic empowerment; 4. Encourages the international community, including bilateral donors and multilateral development organizations, to assist developing countries in ensuring the provision of basic social services for women and girls; 07-28248 31

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