The High-Level Meeting “Worldwide Ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)” concluded today in Rome with the adoption by consensus of a Final Declaration calling on all countries of the world to engage politically to ensure the full 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. The Meeting was organised in Rome by No Peace Without Justice, the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty and the NGO Coalition “Ban FGM”, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ENI.
Co-hosted by the Italian Senate and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Meeting was attended by the First Ladies of Burkina Faso and Guinea, together with ministers, diplomats and civil society activists from over 20 African and European countries, as well as prominent representatives of the Italian government including Prime Minister Mario Monti, Minister of Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata and Minister of Labour, Social Policies and Equal Opportunities Elsa Fornero.

Statement by Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program of No Peace Without Justice:

“Following the historic adoption of a worldwide ban on FGM by the United Nations General Assembly, and on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Zero Tolerance towards FGM, this event was an occasion to celebrate this landmark achievement. It was also an opportunity to discuss and determine measures and strategies to ensure that the UN Resolution realises its full potential as a concrete tool in the fight against FGM and that it truly strengthens efforts aimed at the elimination of FGM once and for all.

“As mentioned in the final declaration just adopted, all countries of the world, starting from those affected by the practice, must engage politically to turn into practice this breakthrough document that defines FGM as a violation of human rights to be addressed and prevented through “all necessary measures, including enacting and enforcing legislation to prohibit FGM and to protect women and girls from this form of violence, and to end impunity”. This also means to prevent and condemn the rise of the medicalisation of the practice of female genital mutilation by adopting strategies aimed at protecting all women’s human rights, not only their right to health.

“Finally, participants at the High Level Meeting stressed the need to foster the harmonisation of political and legislative measures and reinforce cooperation at regional and international levels. This is crucial to fight the increasingly transnational aspect of FGM, as well as providing strong and clear support for all activists working to bring it to an end.

“The adoption of the Resolution is a milestone but not an end in itself: it is just the beginning of a new chapter in the fight against FGM. It is now up to all States and all of us to take the fight forward and work together, so that the women and girls of tomorrow will be free from the threat of FGM.”

• Final Declaration: English, French, Italian
• Press Review
• Draft Program of the High Level Event: English, French, Italian
• List of participants
• Ban FGM Campaign
• Read the UN Resolution in: English, French

For more information, contact Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program, onajablonko@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini, email: ngiovannini@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 15. Check also the websites: www.npwj.org and www.banfgm.org