The meeting, entitled “Strengthening the bridge between Africa and the world to accelerate Zero Tolerance towards FGM and child marriages”, was organised by the Inter-African Committee for Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC), in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), and with the support of the Italian Government and other funders.
The high level event, which was held under the high patronage of H.E. Mrs Chantal Compaore, First Lady of Burkina Faso and under the Presidency of the Ministry of Social Action and National Solidarity of Burkina Faso, brought together high-level government representatives, parliamentarians and civil society activists from Burkina Faso and other 35 countries, as well as representatives from UN agencies and other international organisations.
The Conference concluded with the adoption of a Final declaration calling on all countries of the world to engage politically to ensure the full and swift implementation of the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Worldwide Ban on Female Genital Mutilation (A/RES/67/146), adopted on the 20 December 2012.
Reaffirming that female genital mutilation and child marriage constitute wide-scale and blatant violations of the fundamental human rights of women and girls, the final declaration urges all states to take all necessary measures, including enacting and enforcing legislation to prohibit these forms of violence, to protect women and girls from them and to end impunity.
Enhancing cooperation and synergy of action at regional and international levels is also crucial to foster the harmonisation of political and legislative measures, to fight the increasingly transnational aspect of these harmful practices, as well as to provide strong and clear support for all activists working to bring them to an end.
Documentation:
- Final Declaration (also available in French)
- Concept note of the Conference
- Ban FGM Campaign
- NPWJ FGM Program activities
- Read the UN Resolution (A/RES/67/146) in: English, French
Press coverage:
- MGF et mariages précoces: Des stratégies afin de parvenir à la tolérance zéro, Le Quotidien (Burkina Faso), 27 avril 2014
- Lutte contre les MGF et les mariages des enfants: Chantal Compaoré réaffirme son engagement aux côtés du CI-AF, Fasozine, 27 avril 2014
- MGF et mariages précoses : Des stratégies afin de parvenir à la tolérance zéro, Le Quotidien (Burkina Faso), 26 avril 2014
- Conférence internationale sur les MGF et le mariage des enfants: Chantal Compaoré au front, Burkina 24, 25 avril 2014
- Ouagadougou abrite du 24 au 26 avril une rencontre internationale sur les mutilations génitales et les mariages précoces, RTB TV, 21 April 2014
- La prochaine Conférence internationale sur les mutilations génitales féminines et les mariages d’enfants se tient cette semaine au Burkina Faso, France 24, 21 avril 2014
For more information, contact Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program, on ajablonko@npwj.org or +32 494 533 915 or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32 (0)2 548-39 15.
