UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : HRC 53: Resolution on child, early and forced marriage

The Human Rights Council this afternoon adopted a resolution on child, early and forced marriage.

On child, early and forced marriage: ending and preventing forced marriage, the Council urged States to take comprehensive and human rights-based measures to prevent and eliminate forced marriage, and to address structural and underlying causes and risk factors. States should also promote and protect the right of all women and girls to education, including in situations of armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies.

In a resolution (A/HRC/53/L.3/Rev.1) on Child, early and forced marriage: ending and preventing forced marriage, adopted without a vote, the Council urges States to take comprehensive, multisectoral and human rights-based measures to prevent and eliminate forced marriage, and to address structural and underlying causes and risk factors; to promote and protect the right of all women and girls to education, including in situations of armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies; to ensure access to justice and accountability mechanisms and remedies for the effective implementation and enforcement of laws aimed at preventing and eliminating forced marriage and protecting the rights of those subjected to this harmful practice; to end impunity and to avoid the abuse of power leading to violence against women and girls and the revictimization of victims and survivors of such violence; to ensure access to justice and shelters for protection during the process of annulling a marriage; to ensure the timely registration of births and marriages; and the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare concise and action oriented guidelines as a set of orientations for States on the effective application of a human rights-based approach to the development and implementation of laws in a comprehensive report to the Council at its fifty-ninth session.

Prior to the adoption of the resolution, the Council voted on and rejected five proposed amendments:

L.31: 15 in favour, 21 against and 10 abstentions

L.32: 10 in favour, 21 against, and 14 abstentions

L.41: 13 in favour, 21 against, and 11 abstentions

L.42: 10 in favour, 22 against, and 14 abstentions

L.45: 11 in favour, 23 against, and 12 abstentions