At the conclusion of the 17th Summit of the African Union (AU) held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, the heads of African states approved a Declaration calling for the adoption at the 66th session of a UN General Assembly of a resolution banning FGM worldwide.
The AU Declaration adopted today was proposed by Burkina Faso and is the result of a Campaign for a Worldwide Ban FGM spearheaded by No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, Euronet-FGM and the Senegalese NGO La Palabre. Over the past year, the members of the 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.
Declaration by Emma Bonino, Vice-President of the Italian Senate and Founder of No peace Without Justice:
“No Peace Without Justice, together with the other members of the coalition, welcomes the African Union’s decision to support and promote the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of a Resolution to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide, which demonstrates their strong commitment to human rights and particularly the rights of women and girls
“We would like to thank the Burkina Faso government and especially her Excellency the first lady Madame Chantal Compaoré, for their forceful stance in the Campaign and their essential contribution to ensure the engagement of all African States.
“This decision signals a fundamental step towards achieving a common and harmonised front among the African Union member states to end this practice as “a flagrant violation of the fundamental human rights of women and girls, involving severe repercussions on the lives of people around the world, particularly women and girls in Africa”.
“The universal ban on FGM, through the adoption of a specific resolution by the 66th General Assembly of the United Nations, is a goal within close reach. After the great step that has been achieved in Malabo, we renew the appeal to all states, and to all regional and international organizations, to take an unequivocal and joint stance in favor of the adoption of a UN Resolution banning FGM worldwide in order to ensure the harmonization of legal tools and mechanisms against FGM not only in Africa but in all affected countries as well as provide strong and clear support for all activists working to bring an end to the practice.
Download the AU Declaration
For more information, contact Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program, on ajablonko@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini, email: ngiovannini@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 15. Check also the websites: www.npwj.org
