Asked by: Viscount Craigavon (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the report by the United Nations Population Fund, State of the World Population 2020: Against my will, published on 30 June, what assessment they have made of whether female genital mutilation can be eliminated by 2030.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK government welcomes UNFPA’s 2020 State of the World Population report which shines a light on harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM. The report highlights that respect for human rights and efforts to shift harmful social norms are central to the efforts needed to end FGM by 2030.
The UK is a longstanding supporter to the UN Joint Programme to Eliminate FGM and our £50 million UK aid package includes support for social norms change and the promotion of rights, laws and policies that protect women and girls from FGM. The UK will continue to support efforts and work with our partners to advance gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the Africa-led movement to end FGM by 2030.
Asked by: Viscount Craigavon (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the United Nations Population Fund, State of the World Population 2020: Against my will, published on 30 June.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK government welcomes UNFPA’s 2020 State of the World Population report which shines a light on harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM. The report highlights that respect for human rights and efforts to shift harmful social norms are central to the efforts needed to end FGM by 2030.
The UK is a longstanding supporter to the UN Joint Programme to Eliminate FGM and our £50 million UK aid package includes support for social norms change and the promotion of rights, laws and policies that protect women and girls from FGM. The UK will continue to support efforts and work with our partners to advance gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the Africa-led movement to end FGM by 2030.
Asked by: Viscount Craigavon (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they will take to help implement the Stockholm Statement of Commitment developed at the April 2014 International Conference on Population and Development.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The UK Government is fully committed to the principles of the International Conference on Population and Development's (ICPD) Programme of Action and will continue to uphold these principles in its development work. We consider 2014, as the twentieth anniversary and review year of the ICPD, as an important moment to recognise progress and to address remaining gaps and emerging challenges.
We have been fully engaged in the intergovernmental process for the review of the ICPD, including actively participating in the regional and thematic conferences, the 47th Commission on Population and Development which took place in April of this year, as well as preparations for the upcoming special session at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The Stockholm Statement of Commitment was the outcome document agreed by participants attending the Sixth International Parliamentarians' Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, which also took place in April. Official representatives from the UK Government did not participate in the Stockholm parliamentarians' meeting. However, the Stockholm Statement does endorse a number of the elements we have been supporting throughout our engagement in the ICPD review process and will continue to support, including that sexual and reproductive health and rights become a reality for all, without distinction of any kind.