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Amb. Cornado at the event “Translating political decisions into national and grassroots action reaching the goal of zero tolerance to FGM by 2030”

On the occasion of the International day of Zero Tolerance against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), an awareness raising event took place at the Palais des Nation in Geneva on the February 6th.With the aim to reiterate the message that FGM is an unacceptable practice and a violation of human rights of women and girls.

The event, a panel discussion focusing on the theme “Translating political decisions into national and grassroots action reaching the goal of zero tolerance to FGM by 2030”, has been organized by UNFPA in partnership with OHCHR, UNICEF, UN WOMEN and WHO. The event has been co-sponsored by Italy along with the Permanent Missions of Burkina Faso, Egypt, Norway, United Kingdom and Portugal as well as by the Delegations of the European Union and of the African Union.

Ambassador, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN in Geneva, opened the discussion recalling the traditional and strong commitment of Italy in the fight against FGM, an issue affecting about 200 million of women and girls around the world. Ambassador Cornado also presented the initiatives that Italy implemented both at national and international level to fight FGM and invited to step up efforts to reach, by 2030, the goal 5.3 of Agenda 2030 that particularly focuses to put an end to traditional harmful practices like FGM or Child Early Forced Marriage.

Italy, thanks to its law n. 7/2006, has a best practice, recognized by the UN n 2011, both in the criminalization of FGM and in the implementation of raising awareness initiatives, implemented also with the active involvement of local NGOs.

At the international level, Italy promotes and supports all UN resolutions aimed at putting an end to FGM (including the Human Rights Council Resolution adopted in June 2018). Moreover, Italy supported projects and activities, in the last ten years with a global contribution of 20 million Euros, in many of those countries where such a heinous practice is still widespread.