06/02/2017 (Agence Europe) – On the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on Monday 6 February, the EU reaffirmed its strong commitment to eradicate this practice, that has been inflicted on more than 200 million girls and young women throughout the world, including 500,000 in Europe. In a joint press release, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, Commissioner Vera Jourova (Justice) and her colleague Neven Mimica (Development) stress that the “sustainable development goals provide a unique opportunity to bring together and mobilise the entire international community to meet the ambitious objective of eliminating Female General Mutilation”. Welcoming the measures taken by Gambia and Nigeria, which have criminalised the practice, the EU calls on all third countries to do likewise. “Female Genital Mutilation is a crime in all EU member states. We support partner countries outside Europe to take action to render Female Genital Mutilation unlawful too”, they stress. (AN)