On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the Somalia Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), which includes the EU, its Member States, Norway, Switzerland and the US, takes the opportunity to recall Somalia’s commitment to end FGM.

The HRWG commends Somalia for the commitments it has taken thus far to eliminate the practice of FGM. In 2012, Somalia prohibited FGM and recognised that “female circumcision is a cruel and degrading customary practice, and is tantamount to torture” (Art. 15(4)). Also, in 2015, Somalia acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which calls on State Parties to “take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children” (Art. 24(3)).

Despite these commitments, Somalia continues to have the highest rate of FGM in the world. FGM is a violation of human rights, and more specifically, a violation of the rights of the child, given that it is predominantly practiced on adolescent girls.

During Somalia’s second Universal Period Review (UPR), at the end of January 2016, a number of countries reiterated recommendations made during Somalia’s 2011 UPR to prohibit and criminalise the practice of FGM. The HRWG calls upon the Federal Government of Somalia to unreservedly accept these recommendations and take concrete steps to ensure their effective implementation.

Furthermore, the HRWG urges the Federal Government of Somalia to actively engage in the further development of its national legal framework, including the adoption of the Draft FGM Bill and the creation and implementation of a national action plan, to ensure that the practice of FGM is effectively eliminated.