National Policies

The UNFPA and UNICEF Trust Fund and Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) aims at reducing FGM/C by 40 per cent in 17 countries by 2012. Over the last six months, work plans were finalized in eight countries and funds disbursed for programme implementation.

WHO coordinated the preparation and publication of the interagency statement on the elimination of FGM, signed by 10 UN agencies in 2008. WHO continued to strongly condemn the practice of FGM by medical professionals. UNFPA hosted an internal high-level meeting on sex selection in October 2008 in New York, to initiate the development of the Fund’s strategy on this issue.

Following the launch of the UN Interagency Statement ‘Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation’, by the UN Deputy Secretary General in February 2008, UNICEF-supported efforts were made to implement the approach described therein in national policies.

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, contributed to the development of national strategies and plans on gender-based violence in Afghanistan, Liberia and Ecuador.