The girl child A/RES/70/138 poverty, mental and psychosocial trauma and physical vulnerability and may be exceptionally negatively affected by the economic and care burdens placed on them at a young age, which in turn may lead to their having difficulty completing their education and increase their vulnerability to poverty, discrimination, trafficking and physical abuse, Deeply concerned further that, in situations of poverty, armed conflict, climate-related and other hazards, natural disasters, disease outbreaks and other humanitarian emergencies, the incidence of child-headed households increases and makes girl children particularly vulnerable to poverty, physical and sexual violence and abuse, and discrimination, thus limiting their potential for full development, Deeply concerned about the lack of recent information and statistics on the status of child-headed households and the need for such infor mation to inform appropriate policy responses by Member States and the United Nations system, Noting with disappointment that the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 68/146 17 did not contain any information on the implementation of the priority theme of that resolution, namely, the situation of child-headed households, Recognizing that women and girls are more vulnerable to HIV infection and that they bear a disproportionate burden of the impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, including the care of and support for those living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, and that this negatively affects girls by depriving them of their childhood and diminishing their opportunities to receive an education, often resulting in their having to head households and increasing their vulnerability to the worst forms of child labour and to sexual exploitation, Noting with concern that millions of girls are engaged in child labour and its worst forms, including those who have been victims of trafficking in persons and affected by armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies, that children without nationality or birth registration are vulnerable to trafficking in persons and child labour and that many children face the double burden of having to comb ine economic activities with domestic chores, which deprive them of their childhood and diminish their opportunities to benefit from education and decent employment in the future, and noting in this regard the need to recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work, Recognizing that girl children are often at greater risk of being exposed to and encountering various forms of discrimination and violence and forced labour, which, among other things, would hinder efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those goals that are relevant to gender equality and the empowerment of girls, and reaffirming the need to achieve gender equality to ensure a just and equitable world for girls, including through partnering with men and boys, as an important strategy for advancing the rights of the girl child, Recognizing also that the empowerment of and investment in girls, which is critical for economic growth, and the achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals, including the eradication of poverty and extreme poverty, as well as the meaningful participation of girls in decisions that affect them, are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full _______________ 17 A/70/267. 3/12