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CRC concluding observations 2016, paragraph 47

UN recommendation

Plain English recommendation

Government should:

(a) In line with UN advice on harmful practices, ensure that marriage of 16 and 17-year-olds is based on their full, free and informed consent and takes place only in exceptional circumstances.

(b) Do more to protect children from harmful practices by collecting data, training relevant professionals, raising awareness, providing care to victims, and prosecuting the perpetrators.

(c) Prevent unnecessary medical/surgical treatment of infants and children. Help children determine what happens to their own bodies and ensure their physical integrity. Provide support and counselling to families of intersex children.

(d) Provide remedies to victims of harmful practices.

(e) Train medical and psychological professionals on diversity (sexual, biological and physical) and on the impacts of unnecessary interventions on intersex children.

Original UN recommendation

With reference to its general comment No. 18 (2014) on harmful practices, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Take effective measures to ensure that marriage of children aged 16 and 17 years takes place only in exceptional circumstances and is based on the full, free and informed consent of the concerned children;

(b) Continue and strengthen preventive and protection measures to address the issue of harmful practices, including the collection of data, the training of relevant professionals, awareness-raising programmes, the provision of protection and care to the child victims and the prosecution of those found guilty of perpetrating such acts;

(c) Ensure that no one is subjected to unnecessary medical or surgical treatment during infancy or childhood, guarantee bodily integrity, autonomy and self-determination to children concerned and provide families with intersex children with adequate counselling and support;

(d) Provide redress to the victims of such treatment;

(e) Educate medical and psychological professionals on the range of sexual, and related biological and physical diversity and on the consequences of unnecessary interventions for intersex children.

Date of UN examination


UN article number

19 (protection from all forms of violence), 24 (health and health services), 34 (sexual exploitation)

Last updated on 08/10/2019