In the framework of its annual substantive session which ended on 27 July 2012, the The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) unanimously adopted the Commission on the Status of Women’s Draft Decision which recommends that the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM) be taken up for consideration by the United Nations General Assembly at its forthcoming 67th Session as part of the agenda item “Advancement of women.
This CSW Decision and its adoption by the ECOSOC are the result of the leadership and the determination of the African Group at the UN to bring worldwide attention to the issue of FGM, and follows the Campaign for a Worldwide Ban on FGM spearheaded by an ever-expanding Coalition, composed of No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC), Euronet-FGM, and the NGOs La Palabre, Manifesto 99 and Equality Now.
Declaration by Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program of No Peace Without Justice:
“No Peace Without Justice, together with the other members of the BanFGM Coalition, applaud the adoption by the ECOSOC of the CSW’s draft decision, which signals a further major step in the international campaign to foster global leadership in the fight against female genital mutilation as a wide-scale and blatant violation of the fundamental human rights of women and girls.
“In view of the forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, to be held on 6 – 10 August 2012, The Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty and No Peace Without Justice have submitted a written statement calling on the Human Rights Council to signal unequivocally the international community’s universal condemnation of this harmful practice, supporting the actions of those Member States and activists which have been at the forefront of the fight against FGM both nationally and, increasingly, internationally.
“The time has come for all States to take responsibility and give heed to the voices of the innumerable human rights groups, women’s associations and individual advocates that fight a daily battle to challenge this harmful practice and work towards its elimination.We look forward the United Nations General Assembly to adopt by the end of this year, at its 67th Session, a Resolution to ban female genital mutilation worldwide, which would demonstrate the strong commitment of the international community to human rights and particularly the rights of women and girls.”
Ban FGM Campaign
Over the past years, the members of the Ban FGM Coalition have collaborated on several initiatives to raise awareness internationally about the need for a UNGA Resolution banning this human rights violation, gathering the support of human rights activists, women’s organizations, parliamentarians and government representatives from throughout Africa and Europe.
For more information, contact Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program, on ajablonko@npwj.org, phone: 32 2 548 39 13 or Nicola Giovannini, Public Affairs Coordinator on ngiovannini@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 15.
