Another target of our fight against discrimination is the international initi...

Another target of our fight against discrimination is the international initiative to ban female genital mutilation. Since September 2009 Italy together with a group o f African Countries has promoted such an initiative, which hopefully will lead to the presentation of a Resolution here that fully respects African ownership. FGMs. which violate a woman' s physical integrity, affect millions of women throughout the world, including in my Country, where 35 thousand such cases have been reported.

Women' s rights and national progress go hand in hand but women are still suffering in many countries throughout the world. By pooling together our efforts we can ensure the necessary consensus for resolutions that safeguard our own and future generations from prejudice and intolerance. In this spirit we welcome the creation of "UN Women" within the Secretariat and hope that it quickly becomes operative.