DEC/24/117 High-level panel on the identification of good practices in combating female genital mutilation

GE.13-18617 (E) 131113 131113

Human Rights Council Twenty-fourth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Decision adopted by the Human Rights Council**

24/117 High-level panel on the identification of good practices in combating female genital mutilation

At its 35th meeting, on 27 September 2013, the Human Rights Council decided to adopt the following text:

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Recalling the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 67/146 of 20 December 2012 on intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation, further to the decision of the African Union, taken in Malabo on 1 July 2011, to support the adoption by the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session of a resolution banning female genital mutilation,

Deeply concerned at the fact that, despite the intensification of efforts at the national, regional and international levels, and the emphasis placed on the abandonment of female genital mutilation, this practice persists in all regions of the world,

* Reissued for technical reasons on 13 November 2013. ** The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of

the Council on its twenty-fourth session (A/HRC/24/2), Part One.

United Nations A/HRC/DEC/24/117*

General Assembly Distr.: General 4 October 2013 English Original: French

2 GE.13-18617

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on ending female genital mutilation,1

Recalling, in particular, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted on 25 June 1993 at the World Conference on Human Rights,2 the International Conference on Population and Development and its Programme of Action,3 and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action4 and the related follow- up meetings,

Recognizing and underscoring the importance of the issue and the possibility of organizing international discussions on female genital mutilation, as recommended by the General Assembly in resolution 67/146,

1. Decides to organize a high-level panel discussion at its twenty-sixth session on the identification of good practices in combating female genital mutilation so that an exchange of views may take place concerning the progress made, good practices, and challenges and obstacles encountered in the effort to combat female genital mutilation, as well as the initiatives undertaken at the national, regional and international levels with a view to its eradication;

2. Calls upon the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize a high-level panel discussion on the identification of good practices in combating female genital mutilation and to consult with States, institutions, the treaty bodies, special procedures mandate holders, the relevant regional human rights mechanisms, parliamentarians, civil society, including non- governmental organizations, and national human rights institutions with a view to ensuring their participation in the panel discussion;

3. Also calls upon the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a summary report on the high-level panel discussion.

[Adopted without a vote.]

1 E/CN.6/2012/8.

2 A/CONF.157/24 (part I), chap. III.

3 Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September 1994

(United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.

4 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations

publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.