Covid-19 Could Increase Child Marriages, UN Rep Warns

Zambia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Dr Ngosa Simbyakula, has warned that the socio-economic consequence of the coronavirus pandemic could increase the number of child early and forced marriages around the world.

Dr Simbyakula has told that the UN that the pandemic could result in as many as 13 million forced marriages, dramatically undermining the work done in the last decade to eradicate the practice by 2030. 

“We cannot afford to see the hard-won progress slowed down or set back,” he said.

Zambia has recently co-sponsored a UN resolution with Canada on ‘Ending Child, Early and Force Marriage’. However Dr Simbyakula said he was disappointed that some member states have sought to add amendments to the resolution, slowing down its implementation.

“We hope that for the sake of the important cause to eliminate Early Child and Forced Marriage and the integrity of the principles underlying all Third Committee negotiations, all delegations will join in adopting the draft resolution,” he told the assembly in New York.

Nevertheless the resolution has so far been adopted by 114 member states.